Statin Intolerance Predicted By Allergies, Intolerance to Other Medications

Data from a new study presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2021 Scientific Sessions suggests intolerance to other medications could help predict patients with a greater risk of statin intolerance.

An analysis of electronic medical record data from a 19-year period, results of the study suggest patients with statin intolerance had more than twice the amount of listed drug allergies or drug intolerances beyond statins compared to their statin tolerant cohorts and non-exposed controls.

Among the most commonly prescribed medications in the world, statins have demonstrated their benefit in patients with cholesterol disorders for multiple decades. Statin intolerance remains one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent, hurdles hampering greater uptake of the agents. The AHA 2021 study was designed by investigators at Intermountain Healthcare with an interest in exploring other factors associated with statin intolerance.

To do so, investigators designed their study as an analysis of patients with a. Listed intolerance or allergy to 1 or more statins treated within the Intermountain Healthcare system between January 2022 and February 2021. The specific aim of the analysis was to compare intolerance or medication allergies to other medications among patients with statin intolerance compared to those who were statin tolerant and another group of control subjects not exposed to statin therapy.

Upon analysis, results indicated patients with statin intolerance had a mean of 3.64 additional listed drug allergies or intolerances beyond statins compared to 1.31 additional allergies among the unexposed controls and 1.81 among the statin tolerant population (P for both <.001). To learn more about the results of this study, Practical Cardiology reached out to study investigator Viet Le, PA-C, a physician assistant at Intermountain Healthcare and president of the Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiology, and that conversation is the subject of the following AHA 2021 House Call.

This study, “Statin Intolerance is Predicted by Intolerance to Multiple Others Drugs: Results of a Large Real-World Experience,” was presented at AHA 2021.