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Cholesterol-lowering

Statins

Among the most prescribed drugs in the world. Muscle symptoms are the leading reason people stop taking them, and stopping means losing the cardiovascular protection they were prescribed for.

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The genes involved

SLCO1B1

Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms and SLCO1B1 →

SLCO1B1 encodes OATP1B1, the liver transporter that takes statins up from the blood into liver cells. Reduced transporter function leaves more statin circulating in the body, which CPIC identifies as the likely reason for the link to statin-associated musculoskeletal symptoms. The rs4149056 (c.521T>C, p.Val174Ala) variant is the main decreased-function change and is carried within the *5 and *15 haplotypes. CPIC assigns phenotypes of increased function, normal function, decreased function, possible decreased function, poor function and indeterminate, based on the combination of alleles a person carries. A 2008 genome-wide study of patients on high-dose simvastatin found myopathy odds of 4.5 per copy of the C allele and 16.9 for two copies versus none. CPIC states that statin therapy should not be stopped or avoided because of these genotypes in someone who has an indication for a statin. No dosing information is given here.

CPIC Guideline for SLCO1B1, ABCG2, and CYP2C9 genotypes and Statin-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Cooper-DeHoff RM et al. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2022;111(5):1007-1021 (PMID 35152405); SEARCH Collaborative Group, N Engl J Med. 2008;359(8):789-799 (PMID 18650507).

ABCG2

Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms and SLCO1B1 →

ABCG2 encodes BCRP, an efflux transporter that moves compounds out of cells and shapes how rosuvastatin is absorbed and distributed. The common rs2231142 (c.421C>A, p.Gln141Lys) variant is associated with reduced protein expression, and rosuvastatin exposure has been reported as substantially higher in people with two copies than in those with none. CPIC assigns normal, decreased and poor function phenotypes for this gene and its recommendations for it are specific to rosuvastatin. Not currently reported by MyGeneLog.

CPIC Guideline for SLCO1B1, ABCG2, and CYP2C9 genotypes and Statin-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Cooper-DeHoff RM et al. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2022;111(5):1007-1021 (PMID 35152405).

CYP2C9

Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms and SLCO1B1 →

CYP2C9 is a metabolising enzyme, and among the statins its genetic variation is relevant mainly to fluvastatin, where reduced-function alleles are associated with increased drug exposure. CPIC classifies CYP2C9 into normal, intermediate and poor metabolizer phenotypes using an activity score derived from the person's two alleles. The pharmacokinetics of the other statins are not meaningfully affected by CYP2C9 variation. Not currently reported by MyGeneLog.

CPIC Guideline for SLCO1B1, ABCG2, and CYP2C9 genotypes and Statin-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Cooper-DeHoff RM et al. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2022;111(5):1007-1021 (PMID 35152405).

Variants MyGeneLog reports for these genes

These are the positions in your own file that carry the genes above. Not every gene in a guideline is one we report — where that is the case the gene appears above without a variant here, and the note says so.

Statin muscle-side-effect risk

SLCO1B1 · rs4149056

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This page is educational and contains no dosing information. Where a clinical guideline covers one of these gene-drug pairs it is written for prescribers and works through validated algorithms alongside clinical monitoring. Nothing here is a reason to start, stop, or change a medication — that conversation belongs with the clinician or pharmacist managing your treatment.