ArticleCureus2025
The Hidden Hazard of Hypothyroidism: Statin-Associated Rhabdomyolysis With Life-Threatening Complications.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Statins are among the most widely prescribed medications for reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While generally well tolerated, they carry a rare but potentially fatal risk of rhabdomyolysis - a condition marked by massive skeletal muscle breakdown, electrolyte abnormalities, and acute kidney injury (AKI). We report the case of a 76-year-old man who developed profound rhabdomyolysis, severe transaminitis, and dialysis, requiring AKI shortly after initiating atorvastatin. His initial symptoms included excruciating bilateral lower extremity pain and progressive weakness, ultimately rendering him unable to walk. Laboratory evaluation revealed a creatine kinase level exceeding 25,000 U/L, marked elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and a creatinine of 9.6 mg/dL. Despite prompt initiation of aggressive intravenous hydration, bladder decompression, and supportive care, the patient remained anuric and progressed to volume overload, necessitating initiation of hemodialysis. Further evaluation revealed profoundly uncontrolled hypothyroidism, with a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of 121.7 µIU/mL and a free T4 level of less than 0.4 ng/dL, despite reported use of levothyroxine. MRI of the thigh showed diffuse muscular edema without myonecrosis, and an autoimmune myositis panel was negative. Atorvastatin was promptly discontinued, and thyroid hormone therapy was intensified. Over the next several days, his biochemical parameters slowly improved, and he was ultimately discharged to acute rehabilitation with plans for outpatient dialysis and endocrine follow-up. This case underscores the synergistic danger of statin therapy in the presence of untreated or undertreated hypothyroidism. Routine screening for thyroid dysfunction, particularly in elderly patients or those with known thyroid disease, may help prevent catastrophic complications such as rhabdomyolysis and irreversible renal injury.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.