Tendinopathies Associated with Statin Therapy in Patients with Dyslipidemia: Case Study

Abstract

Statins are considered the initial and first-line treatment in cardiovascular and atherosclerotic diseases, characterized by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. Some adverse effects associated with these drugs are injuries to the tendon structure including tenosynovitis, tendon and tendon rupture.

The aim of this article is to evaluate the tendon structure by musculoskeletal ultrasound and to raise the question of whether chronic statin consumption in this patient with dyslipidemia is related to the appearance of tendinopathies.

Methodology A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out, focused on the evaluation of the incidence of tendinopathies in patients who have been using statins chronically. A case study approach was used, analysing in detail a female patient selected according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The sample consisted of a patient who met the inclusion criteria: age between 45-60 years, chronic use of statins for more than 12 months, presentation of symptoms suggestive of tendinopathy.

Patients with a history of musculoskeletal diseases prior to the start of treatment were excluded, and anyone with arthritis, chronic septic inflammatory processes, athletes, young patients, and those who did not want to participate in the study and did not agree to give informed consent were excluded.

For data collection, 7 patients were selected, of which 1 only met the inclusion and acceptance criteria for the study, a clinical history was taken with exhaustive clinical evaluations of the selected patients, focused on the identification of tendinopathy symptoms and other possible risk factors, at the end a musculoskeletal ultrasound was carried out where possible tendon injuries were identified and characterized.  evaluating tendon structure and its relationship to statin use. This methodology provides a detailed and structured approach to conducting research on the incidence of tendinopathies associated with statin use.

Results During the clinical evaluation of this patient, symptoms associated with tendinopathy of the long portion of the biceps brachii on the right side were identified. The results of the musculoskeletal ultrasound confirmed the alterations in the structure of the tendon, finding tenosynovitis, significant peritendinous effusion and microruptures of the long portion of the biceps brachii not only on the affected side,  but also on the contralateral side, which was asymptomatic for tendon pathology. In addition, not only was the biceps tendon modified, micro ruptures in the supraspinatus tendon and subacromial bursitis were observed. This patient had been taking atorvastatin 20mg every 24 hours in the mornings for 9 years and was not attributed with any mechanism of overuse injury that triggered multiple tendinopathies at the rotator cuff level.