Statins: Do they cause ALS?

Is there any link between statin use and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)? I know statins can cause muscle damage in some people. Could statin use trigger ALS in people predisposed to the disease?

- No name / California

Mayo Clinic cardiologist Gerald Gau, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

There have been reports of individuals who have developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) while taking statins. However, at this time, there is no good evidence that statins cause or trigger ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

ALS is a serious degenerative neurological disorder that is due to disease and death of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscles. ALS may begin with muscle twitching, weakness in an arm or leg, or changes in speech (dysarthria). Eventually, it affects the ability to control the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe.

Statins are medications prescribed for the treatment of high cholesterol. These medications can sometimes cause muscle pain (myalgia), muscle weakness and rarely severe muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis). But these occur as a result of direct muscle damage, not damage to nerve cells.