Huang, C Y, Chung, S D, Kao, L T et al. · Urologia internationalis · 2015 · DOI
This study found that women who took statin drugs (commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol) were about 1.5 times more likely to develop bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) compared to women who didn't take statins. The researchers think statins may damage the protective lining of the bladder, which could contribute to this painful condition.
This study is relevant to ME/CFS patients because many ME/CFS patients experience comorbid pain syndromes like BPS/IC, and some also use statins for cardiovascular risk reduction. Understanding potential iatrogenic contributions to bladder pain could inform medication decisions in this population and highlight epithelial dysfunction as a shared mechanistic pathway across multiple chronic conditions.
This study does not prove that statins *cause* BPS/IC—only that an association exists. Because it is observational, reverse causation is possible (people with undiagnosed BPS/IC symptoms might be more likely to seek medical care and receive statins). The study cannot definitively exclude unmeasured confounders or determine mechanism of action.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Huang, C Y, Chung, S D, Kao, L T, Lin, H C, & Wang, L H (2015). Statin Use Is Associated with Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.. Urologia internationalis. https://doi.org/10.1159/000431185
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-huang-2015-statin-use,
author = {Huang, C Y and Chung, S D and Kao, L T and Lin, H C and Wang, L H},
title = {Statin Use Is Associated with Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.},
journal = {Urologia internationalis},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1159/000431185},
note = {PubMed: 26184102},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/huang-2015-statin-use},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/huang-2015-statin-use
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