Key result
Incident statin use is linked to a ~2% overall incidence of statin-associated myopathy.
Why the study?
What is the incidence of statin-associated myopathy among incident statin users in real-world practice?
Observational (n=531,672)
Yes
What is the incidence of statin-associated myopathy among incident statin users in real-world practice?
In a large real-world German cohort, the incidence of statin-associated myopathy was 1.9% among incident statin users, with higher rates observed in patients who changed statin therapy.
Supports real-world counseling on myopathy risk; leaves open whether statin switching elevates incidence or reflects selection bias.
Aim of the study was to assess the incidence of statin-associated myopathy (SAM) under real-life conditions in Germany. DATABASE: Administrative data (master data, diagnoses, prescriptions) for all individuals in Germany insured with the Statutory Health Insurance. Basic population: individuals 18 years and older who have been insured continually from 2009 to 2011 (52.9 million; 29.9 million men, 23.9 million women). Data access is provided by the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information, DIMDI) according to the Data Transparency Regulation of 2012. Statins: identification with the ATC-Codes: C10AA, C10BA and C10BX. STUDY POPULATION: incident statin users in 2010 with a diagnosis of lipid disorders (ICD-10-GM E78, excluding patients with: E78.1, E78.3, E78.6 in eight quarters before index prescription. Definition of SAM: documentation of myopathy (ICD-10-GM G72.0, G72.8; G72.9, M60.8, M60.9, M79.1) in the first statin prescription quarter or in one of the three following quarters. The first event is considered for the incidence estimate. The daily doses included in a package were classified as "days under therapy" (by assuming one DDD) and taken as exposition time. SAM was found in 1.9% of 531 672 incident statin users. The percentage differs according to the patterns of statin use: the lowest incidence is observed in those with only one prescription (1.3%), the highest incidence with 5.0% is observed in those who not only stopped the treatment within 365 days, but who also had their statin changed. Administrative data including diagnoses from ambulatory care provide a realistic estimate of SAM frequency in every day practice.
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Ihle et al. (2018) conducted an observational in Lipid disorders (n=531,672). Statin use was evaluated on Statin-associated myopathy (SAM). Statin-associated myopathy occurred in 1.9% of incident statin users, ranging from 1.3% with a single prescription to 5.0% in those who stopped and changed their statin.
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