Statins AND heart block?

I was (and still am) healthy when my heart block occurred out of the blue. But I was taking a statin to reduce cholestorol for a few months before it happened. Statins are known to be able to damage muscle including heart muscle. Has anyone had their problem like me out of the blue? Could the statin have caused the heart block??

5 Comments

out of the blue

by Tracey_E - 2009-09-03 08:09:56

I think you'll find that most of the people here with av blocks that aren't congenital developed it suddenly with no warning. It can come from medications, infection, or sometimes they don't know what causes it. I don't know specifically about statins.

statinsHello

by Boldie - 2009-09-04 05:09:23

hello chrishk: I have been taking statins for 14 consecutive years, every day from 80 mmg down actually to 10 mmgr. !! The last data I have is that Statins and aspirin 100 are good for every one.. they make people live longer!! I collapsed 2 months ago..and at the hospital was diagnosed Mobitz Block 2 x 2°!! I carry now my pace maker.. for two months..Like Tracey E says.. statins have NOTHING to do with heart blocks!!
Good luck - boldie

more on statins

by chrishk - 2009-09-04 07:09:07

Last week a study came out saying that while on statins, men lost 5kg in power in lower limbs, but after stopping statins, rebounded to +15kg power, the implication being that on statins. muscle mass decreases. I think this is correct. Other studies have shown 37% reduction in muscle mass in the heart with statins in patients with cardiac hypertrophy (enlarged hearta). So I think statins cause muscle loss.
Maybe they can reduced muscle mass in the conducting areas of the heart too, and in those predisposed to heart block, it could bring on the condition earlier???

boldie

by Tracey_E - 2009-09-04 09:09:03

Actually, what I said was I had no idea about statins. :o)

predisposed

by Tracey_E - 2009-09-05 12:09:14

I don't think anyone is predisposed to av blocks, at least I've never heard of it. Some of us are born with it and it's just a fluke that we're born with a broken circuit, tho there is a genetic connection between mothers with Lupus and babies born with av block. When you develop it later in life, something happens (infection, etc) to cause the circuit to get broken. If you're asymptomatic and haven't had a reason to get an ekg, it's possible to have a block for years and never know it so it can be hard to tell how or why you developed it.

That said, the heart is a muscle, so if a drug affects muscle mass it makes sense that it could have an adverse effect on the heart. All drugs have side effects.

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