Gene may help ID statin side effect risk

Cholesterol-lowering statins can cause muscle pain and weakness Genetic variation seems to predict patients who'll get side effects Experts: The finding doesn't mean all statin takers should be tested Muscle weakness caused by statins affects 1 out of 10,000 patients a year LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Scientists may have found a way to test for and possibly avoid the most serious side effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, one of the top-selling medicines in the world. Zocor, and its generic simvastatin, are widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. In rare cases, statins can cause muscle pain and weakness. Researchers have identified a genetic variation that seems to predict more than half of these cases. People on statins who have the variant were about five to 17 times more likely to develop muscle problems,... [read full story]