Do initial symptoms of statin-induced myopathy affect the decline of physical and living functions in older adults?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01853
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Hisashi 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (50339727)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: スタチン / ミオパチー / 生活機能 / 地域高齢者 / 介護予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the association between statin use and initial symptoms of myopathy such as the decline of physical function, cognitive function, and depression among older adults. The participants were community-dwelling elderly Japanese who took part in comprehensive health checkups in the cohort study. We verified statin use in the participants by using data from their medicine notebooks at the checkups. Further, an analysis of the effects of statin use on outcome measures such as physical function, cognitive function, and depression was conducted. The result of the cross-sectional study showed that some physical functions were lower in statin users than in nonusers. However, the factors of functional decline were age, body size, and chronic diseases and not statin use. The results of the longitudinal analysis suggested that continuous statin use did not directly affect the outcome measures.

Free Research Field

健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

スタチンによるミオパチーの初期症状は、Statin-associated muscle symptomsと定義され、2015年に欧州アテローム性動脈硬化症学会がスタチン療法に関するコンセンサスを発表し国際的にも注目されている。わが国においても、日本老年医学会からも「高齢者の安全な薬物療法ガイドライン」が作成され、75歳以上やフレイル高齢者におけるスタチン等脂質低下薬によるエビデンスは十分ではなく、今後、サルコペニアへの影響等に関する研究の必要性を示唆している。本研究は、わが国の地域高齢者において、スタチンが運動機能や生活機能低下へ直接的に影響していないことを示した本邦初の研究である。