Statin-Associated Liver Issues: Risks, Symptoms & Monitoring

Statins are the drug of choice for lowering bad cholesterol. Liver problems related to statin use is found in about 1 percent of the patients taking statins for control of high cholesterol.

Significance

• According to Medicinenet.com, statins can cause injury to the liver. Elevations in liver enzymes were found in up to 3 percent of patients taking statins.

Considerations

• Statins are used with caution and liver enzymes are monitored closely for any patient with existing liver disease. Severe liver disease occurs in approximately one or two out of a million users, according to Medicinenet.com.

More Considerations

• According to Medicationsense.com, higher doses of statins were closely related to an increase in liver problems. High-dose statins were associated with 2.4 times more instances of liver injury than with patients receiving low doses.

Potential

• According to eMedtv, possible statin-related liver problems include hepatitis, jaundice and fatty change in the liver.

Potential Effects

• Elevated liver enzyme levels due to statins almost always return to normal once the medication is stopped or reduced.