Zocor (or Vytorin) is a cholesterol-lowering drug, which reportedly might cause muscle problems in patients who take high doses. The Food and Drug Administration therefore limited the use of the drug on Wednesday.
The FDA said that patients shouldn´t start with the highest dose of the drug (80 mg). Patients who have been taking that dose without problems may continue to take it.
Statins inhibit cholesterol production in the liver and can help to prevent a heart attack, but they can also cause myopathy (muscle-weakening), the FDA warned.
Statins are among the most often prescribed drugs in the United States.
