AB Purpose: Statin therapy can result in muscle pain, cramps, and weakness that may limit physical activity, although reports are mixed. We conducted a randomized control trial to examine the effect of atorvastatin on habitual physical activity levels in a large sample of healthy adults. Methods: Participants (n = 418) were statin-naive adults (44.0 +/- 16.1 yr (mean +/- SD)) who were randomized and double-blinded to 80 mg[middle dot]d-1 of atorvastatin or placebo for 6 months. Accelerometers were worn for 96 h before and after drug treatment. Repeated-measures analysis tested physical activity levels after versus those before drug treatment among groups with age and V[spacing dot above]O2max as covariates. Results: In the total sample, sedentary behavior increased (19.5 +/- 5.1 min[middle dot]d-1), whereas light-intensity (9.1 +/- 3.0 min[middle dot]d-1) and moderate-intensity (9.7 +/- 2.8 min[middle dot]d-1) physical activity decreased, as did total activity counts (17.8 +/- 6.3 d-1 x 10-3) over 6 months (P < 0.01), with no differences between groups. The atorvastatin group increased sedentary behavior (19.8 +/- 7.4 min[middle dot]d-1) and decreased light-intensity (10.7 +/- 4.3 min[middle dot]d-1) and moderate-intensity (8.5 +/- 4.0 min[middle dot]d-1) physical activity (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the placebo group increased sedentary behavior (19.2 +/- 7.1 min[middle dot]d-1) and decreased moderate-intensity (11.0 +/- 3.8 min[middle dot]d-1) and total physical activity counts (-23.8 +/- 8.8 x 10-3 d-1) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Time being sedentary increased and physical activity levels decreased in the total sample over 6 months of drug treatment, independent of group assignment. Our results suggest that statins do not influence physical activity levels any differently from placebo, and the lack of inclusion of a placebo condition may provide insight into inconsistencies in the literature.
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