Muscle Characteristics Associated With Statin Therapy

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primary surgeon's permission.
• Patient is > 21 years of age.
• Patient will go through a two phase surgery with the two procedures one to eight months apart.
• Patient or representative understands the nature of the study.
• Normal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
• LDL-cholesterol > 100 mg/dL or highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) > 2.0.
• One of the following risk factors: male > 45 year old or female > 55 year old, smoker, hypertension, first degree family history of coronary artery disease < 55 year old, HDL <40 mg/dL, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, previous TIA or stroke, previous coronary artery disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Has been on a lipid-lowering medication previously.
• Severe illness (e.g. trauma or sepsis) more than 24 hours before obtaining the first biopsy.
• Less than a 10% reduction of LDL after 3 months of therapy (indicative of non-adherence).
• Contraindications to statins such as liver failure.
• History of underlying muscle disorder.
• Taking amiodarone.