Friday Nov 28, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Statins cause muscle aches and pains in a whopping 38.8 percent of patients, according to nutritionist Byron Richards.

New research showed that statins would cause the muscle pain more often in those who do not have sufficient vitamin D.

Richards said the pain caused by statins is not the same as being sore from exercise.   Statins can actually injure the muscle through abnormal activation of gene called atrogen-1.

The new research showed that patients with very low vitamin D (less than 20 ng/mL had a very high rate of statin-related muscle pain (62.1 percent) than those who had vitamin D scores higher than 30 ng/mL (17.6 percent).

Unfortunately high rates of older people have lower levels of vitamin D.   Vitamin D has been associated with high risk of heart failure and cardiovascular diseases suggesting that taking vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk.

But when vitamin D supplements are taken, why should people bother to take statins? Experts have said that statins benefit mostly those who have had underlying heart condition and the benefit is tiny for those who are healthy.

There are not many things people can do to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Statins are not the only solution.