A group of researchers from the University of California has unveiled that people who take cholesterol-lowering statins are probable to suffer fatigue and low energy at times, as per a report published lately in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The team had conducted a study in which more than 1,000 adults were enrolled, none of whom had heart disease or diabetes. While some were given a placebo, the other participants were given a low dose statin.

Following the same, all of them were told to rate their energy and fatigue during exercise on a five-point scale. The scale ranged from "much worse" to "much better”, as per the findings.

It has been told that the fatigue with exercise was different than a particular rare fatal side effect Rhabdomyolysis caused by statins. The condition makes people suffer severe muscle pain, kidney failure, liver damage or even death at times.

The study found that participants who took statins were more likely to suffer fatigue upon exertion as compared to those who took placebo.

Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD thus suggests, "Some people may experience improvement when they change to a different drug, while others may lower the dose or stop taking a statin altogether. For any given person, the risk of fatigue needs to be weighed against the perceived benefits of the medication”.