NCT02250677

Brief Summary

Background Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that are prescribed to lower the risk of cardio-vascular diseases (CVD). The use of statins has increased markedly and it is now one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. 600,000 people in Denmark are taking statins on a daily basis, 40 % of these are taking the medication without having any other risk factors for CVD than elevated blood-cholesterol i.e. they are in primary prevention. Statins are not without side effects and studies have shown that there is an elevated risk of developing diabetes when taking statins. This has led to an increased debate about the use of statins in primary prevention. Furthermore a large meta-analysis has shown that to prevent one event of CVD, it is necessary to treat 200 people for 3-5 years. These data suggest that more conservative use of statins to prevent CVD in otherwise healthy individuals at low risk for future CVD may be warranted. Other side effects of statins are muscle myalgia, muscle cramps and fatigue which potentially can prevent a physically active lifestyle. The biomedical background of these side effects is not fully elucidated but it has been shown that there is a link to decreasing levels of an important enzyme, Q10, which plays a role in muscle energy metabolism. Hypothesis The overarching research question is: why does statin treatment cause muscle pain? Does statin treatment impair (or even prohibit) physical exercise training? Furthermore we would like to answer the following questions: a Does statin treatment impair (or even prohibit) physical exercise training? b Does statin treatment cause:

  • Decreased muscle strength?
  • Skeletal muscle inflammation?
  • Decreased mitochondrial respiratory function? c Abnormal glucose homeostasis?

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
75

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Apr 2014

Typical duration for all trials

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 1, 2014

Completed
5 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 12, 2014

Completed
14 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 26, 2014

Completed
1.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 1, 2016

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

September 1, 2016

Completed
Last Updated

September 26, 2016

Status Verified

September 1, 2016

Enrollment Period

2.4 years

First QC Date

September 12, 2014

Last Update Submit

September 23, 2016

Conditions

Keywords

physical activityStatin therapycardiovascular diseasediabetes mellitus

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Differences in physical performance between two groups of statin treated patients

    Differences in physical performance is measured by VO2-max and muscle strength

    Three experimental days

Study Arms (3)

Patients with myalgia

Patients with myalgia as a side effect to treatment with Simvastatin (minimum 20 mg daily)

Patients without myalgia

Patients treated with Simvastatin (minimum 20 mg daily) without any side effects to the treatment

Control group

Patients with elevated serum cholesterol not treated with cholesterol lowering drugs

Eligibility Criteria

Age40 Years - 70 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodNon-Probability Sample
Study Population

The patients will be recruited through advertisement in pharmacies and through newspapers. The patients will be recruited among statin users that are in primary prevention.

You may qualify if:

  • years
  • BMI 25-35
  • Taking Simvastatin minimum 40 mg daily

You may not qualify if:

  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Cardiovascular disease such as arrythmia, ischaemic heart disease
  • Mental disorders preventing the subject to understand the project description

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Copenhagen

Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark

Location

Related Publications (14)

  • Boushel R, Gnaiger E, Schjerling P, Skovbro M, Kraunsoe R, Dela F. Patients with type 2 diabetes have normal mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. Diabetologia. 2007 Apr;50(4):790-6. doi: 10.1007/s00125-007-0594-3. Epub 2007 Feb 15.

    PMID: 17334651BACKGROUND
  • Ebrahim S, Casas JP. Statins for all by the age of 50 years? Lancet. 2012 Aug 11;380(9841):545-7. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60694-1. Epub 2012 May 17. No abstract available.

    PMID: 22607823BACKGROUND
  • Larsen S, Hey-Mogensen M, Rabol R, Stride N, Helge JW, Dela F. The influence of age and aerobic fitness: effects on mitochondrial respiration in skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2012 Jul;205(3):423-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2012.02408.x. Epub 2012 Feb 11.

    PMID: 22212519BACKGROUND
  • Larsen S, Nielsen J, Hansen CN, Nielsen LB, Wibrand F, Stride N, Schroder HD, Boushel R, Helge JW, Dela F, Hey-Mogensen M. Biomarkers of mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle of healthy young human subjects. J Physiol. 2012 Jul 15;590(14):3349-60. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.230185. Epub 2012 May 14.

    PMID: 22586215BACKGROUND
  • Larsen S, Stride N, Hey-Mogensen M, Hansen CN, Andersen JL, Madsbad S, Worm D, Helge JW, Dela F. Increased mitochondrial substrate sensitivity in skeletal muscle of patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2011 Jun;54(6):1427-36. doi: 10.1007/s00125-011-2098-4. Epub 2011 Mar 18.

    PMID: 21424396BACKGROUND
  • Larsen S, Stride N, Hey-Mogensen M, Hansen CN, Bang LE, Bundgaard H, Nielsen LB, Helge JW, Dela F. Simvastatin effects on skeletal muscle: relation to decreased mitochondrial function and glucose intolerance. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Jan 8;61(1):44-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.09.036.

    PMID: 23287371BACKGROUND
  • Meador BM, Huey KA. Statin-associated myopathy and its exacerbation with exercise. Muscle Nerve. 2010 Oct;42(4):469-79. doi: 10.1002/mus.21817.

    PMID: 20878737BACKGROUND
  • Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaborators; Mihaylova B, Emberson J, Blackwell L, Keech A, Simes J, Barnes EH, Voysey M, Gray A, Collins R, Baigent C. The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials. Lancet. 2012 Aug 11;380(9841):581-90. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60367-5. Epub 2012 May 17.

    PMID: 22607822BACKGROUND
  • Parker BA, Thompson PD. Effect of statins on skeletal muscle: exercise, myopathy, and muscle outcomes. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2012 Oct;40(4):188-94. doi: 10.1097/JES.0b013e31826c169e.

    PMID: 23000957BACKGROUND
  • Perk J, De Backer G, Gohlke H, Graham I, Reiner Z, Verschuren M, Albus C, Benlian P, Boysen G, Cifkova R, Deaton C, Ebrahim S, Fisher M, Germano G, Hobbs R, Hoes A, Karadeniz S, Mezzani A, Prescott E, Ryden L, Scherer M, Syvanne M, Scholte op Reimer WJ, Vrints C, Wood D, Zamorano JL, Zannad F; European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR); ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG). European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (version 2012). The Fifth Joint Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (constituted by representatives of nine societies and by invited experts). Eur Heart J. 2012 Jul;33(13):1635-701. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehs092. Epub 2012 May 3. No abstract available.

    PMID: 22555213BACKGROUND
  • Ray KK, Seshasai SR, Erqou S, Sever P, Jukema JW, Ford I, Sattar N. Statins and all-cause mortality in high-risk primary prevention: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 65,229 participants. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jun 28;170(12):1024-31. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.182.

    PMID: 20585067BACKGROUND
  • Ridker PM, Pradhan A, MacFadyen JG, Libby P, Glynn RJ. Cardiovascular benefits and diabetes risks of statin therapy in primary prevention: an analysis from the JUPITER trial. Lancet. 2012 Aug 11;380(9841):565-71. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61190-8.

    PMID: 22883507BACKGROUND
  • Taylor F, Ward K, Moore TH, Burke M, Davey Smith G, Casas JP, Ebrahim S. Statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jan 19;(1):CD004816. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004816.pub4.

    PMID: 21249663BACKGROUND
  • Christensen IB, Blom I, Dohlmann TL, Finger F, Helge JW, Gerhart-Hines Z, Dela F, Larsen S. Effect of Simvastatin Treatment on Mitochondrial Function and Inflammatory Status of Human White Adipose Tissue. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Sep 18;108(10):e916-e922. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad259.

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITH DNA

Samples with plasma, muscle and fat biopsies are retained for analysis after enrolment of the last subject.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular DiseasesDiabetes MellitusMotor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Glucose Metabolism DisordersMetabolic DiseasesNutritional and Metabolic DiseasesEndocrine System DiseasesBehavior

Study Officials

  • Flemming Dela, MD, MDSci

    University of Copenhagen

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
CASE CONTROL
Time Perspective
CROSS SECTIONAL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 12, 2014

First Posted

September 26, 2014

Study Start

April 1, 2014

Primary Completion

September 1, 2016

Study Completion

September 1, 2016

Last Updated

September 26, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-09

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations