Pharmacogenomic insights into treatment and management of statin-induced myopathy
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* Corresponding author: Anke-Hilse Maitland-van der Zee A.H.Maitland@uu.nl
1 Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), University of Utrecht, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands
2 Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Genome Medicine 2009, 1:120 doi:10.1186/gm120
Published: 29 December 2009Abstract
Although statins are generally well tolerated, the most common adverse drug reaction from statin therapy is myopathy. This article reviews the current pharmacogenomic knowledge of statin-induced myopathy. Furthermore, we will discuss the importance of recent pharmacogenetic advances for the treatment and management of statin-induced myopathy. Variation in the SLCO1B1 gene is associated with increased incidence of statin-induced myopathy, particularly with simvastatin and less so with other statins. If different pharmacokinetic enzymes and transporters are responsible for susceptibility to myopathy, this may explain differences in the occurrence of statin-induced myopathy in individual patients. Genotyping in patients suffering from statin-induced myopathy may help to personalize the choice of statin for the lowest chance of developing myopathy.