Cellular respiration but not contractility of the heart is affected by statins

Recent research from Radboudumc has revealed that while statins—widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs—can inhibit cellular respiration in heart muscle cells, they do not impact the contractile force of the heart.

Statins are effective at reducing cardiovascular disease risk, but some patients experience muscle pain, leading to discontinuation of the medication. Researchers from the Department of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, have been investigating how statins might affect energy metabolism in heart cells. The full study was published on September 25, 2024, in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.

In an ex vivo study, tissue samples from patients undergoing open-heart surgery were analyzed to measure contractile strength and cellular respiration in both heart and skeletal muscles. The findings showed that although statins inhibited the respiration of cardiac muscle cells, the contractile force remained unaffected. The team attributes this to the heart's ability to compensate with its higher mitochondrial content.

The study highlights the need for further research on patients who experience statin-induced muscle symptoms, the elderly, and those with compromised mitochondrial function, to better understand how statins influence these groups.

About the publication

Somers T, Siddiqi S, Janssen MCM, et al. Effect of statins on mitochondrial function and contractile force in human skeletal and cardiac muscle. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2024;180:117492.