Muscle pain and muscle weakness in COVID19 patients: Cross-talk with statins – Preliminary results()

BACKGROUND: Muscle pain and muscle weakness, common symptoms among statin-treated patients, may worsen with COVID-19 infection. AIMS: The aim of the paper was to find out if concomitant COVID-19 infections increase the frequency of specific side effects of statins such as muscle pain and muscle weakness. METHOD: A total of 66 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 without comorbidities participated in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: statin-users who had not experienced adverse effects of statins in the past (statin group (SG)) and patients who had not used any drugs in the past six months (control group (CG)). The severity of muscle pain and creatinine kinase (CK) activity was evaluated in each patient, and muscle weakness was confirmed by a dynamometer test (grip strength on both hands). RESULTS: In SG, muscle pain was more common and it was characterized by a high level of intensity. Muscle weakness occurred more frequently in the SG and it was more frequent compared to CG. The CK parameter was observed to be higher in the SG compared to the CG and was often associated with the severity of muscle pain in the range of moderate to severe. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that COVID-19 is associated with the higher risk of occurrence of typical statin-related side effects, especially with more advanced age, which should be considered in future trials and treatments.