Leishman thought he may lose his wife Audrey last year when she developed myopathy, a disease where the muscles cease to function.

In a man with mitochondrial myopathy, a neuromuscular disease, the scientists discovered a mutation on mitochondrial DNA that came from his father.

Most often, that means muscle pain and weakness known as myopathy, which affects roughly 10 percent of statin users, Whayne said.