According to FDA guidelines, what should be routinely assessed in patients on statins?

Patients on statins should routinely have muscle pain or weakness assessed due to the potential for muscle-related side effects known as myopathy. Statins can sometimes lead to muscle inflammation, damage, or even more serious conditions like rhabdomyolysis, which is a severe breakdown of muscle tissue that can harm the kidneys. Therefore, monitoring for muscle pain or weakness is essential to detect these adverse effects promptly and take necessary clinical action.

While liver enzyme levels are also important to monitor in patients on statins, as elevated liver enzymes can indicate liver damage, the assessment of muscle symptoms is particularly emphasized in routine evaluations because muscle-related adverse effects are more common. On the other hand, blood pressure levels and cholesterol absorption are not specific routine monitoring parameters for patients on statins, making muscle pain or weakness the crucial focus for ongoing assessments.