Statins, commonly used to lower cholesterol levels, may cause a rare long-term condition which causes muscle weakness, according to a report by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Statins -- atorvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin and pitavastatin (single-ingredient and fixed-dose combination products) -- are important medicines to lower a person’s risk of having cardiovascular events such as angina, heart attacks, and stroke.