Crestor is made by AstraZeneca and is considered the most potent (strongest) statin. Like other statins, Crestor lowers total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides while increasing HDL cholesterol.
A low-dose statin like atorvastatin (Lipitor®) is safe for most patients, including those with mild liver enzyme abnormalities.
Conditions treated: Lipitor and Crestor are both used to treat high cholesterol and reduce certain heart risks. However, Crestor is also used to slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries. (See “Uses of Lipitor vs. Crestor” below.)
A systematic review of 75 clinical trials found that rosuvastatin and atorvastatin were the only statins that lowered LDL cholesterol by more than 40% (hence, they're the only “high-intensity” statins).
Public Citizen petitioned the FDA in 2004 and 2005 to recall Crestor. The advocacy organization's health research group documented cases of patients who developed rhabdomyolysis after taking the drug. Rhabdomyolysis is a severe form of muscle damage that can lead to permanent kidney damage, coma and sometimes death.
It's possible, although unlikely, that one particular statin may cause side effects for you while another statin won't. It's thought that simvastatin (Zocor) may be more likely to cause muscle pain as a side effect than other statins when it's taken at high doses.
By Lauran Neergaard • Published March 6, 2023
shows the cholesterol-lowering drug Nexletol made by Esperion Therapeutics Inc. Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can't or won't take those pills because of side effects may have another option.
Even though all statins are similar chemically, they have some minor differences that could impact how likely they are to cause muscle pain. Simvastatin is the most likely to cause muscle pain, and fluvastatin is the least likely.
Common side effects of Lipitor are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests, according to Pfizer Inc. The drug label also warns of serious side effects such as liver problems and muscle problems that can lead to kidney failure.
Nexletol was approved in 2020 by the FDA to treat high cholesterol. Statins, drugs that are used to lower one's cholesterol, can save lives - but come with steep side effects for up to a third of people who need them.
A recall occurs when a product is removed from the market due to a potentially harmful defect. Pfizer voluntarily recalled specific bottles of Lipitor (40 mg only) due to reports of an unusual odor.
If you've made lifestyle changes through diet and exercise that have lowered your cholesterol levels, you may not need to continue taking a statin. These changes can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries while allowing you to take one less medication.
Statins are the most common medicine for high cholesterol. They reduce the amount of cholesterol your body makes. You take a tablet once a day. You usually need to take them for life.
People who are unwilling or unable to take statins have limited options for other cholesterol-lowering medications. One possible choice is bempedoic acid, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020.
The new bempedoic acid drug – currently called Nexletol – is being developed by US-based Esperion Therapeutics and will go to the Therapeutics Goods Administration for approval for use in Australia. Professor Nicholls said he expected the drug to be available for Australian patients in the next two years.
There are many non-statin medications your doctor might prescribe: Bile acid-binding resins, like cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colesevelam (WelChol), and colestipol (Colestid) stick to cholesterol-rich bile acids in your intestines and lower your LDL levels.
Of all statins, simvastatin and atorvastatin are responsible for most reported incidents of liver damage, but this is likely just due to the fact that they are prescribed the most.
Specifically, lipophilic statins (those that dissolve more readily in lipids such as oils and fats) may be more effective for preventing liver cancer than hydrophilic statins (those that dissolve more readily in water).
Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.
Joseph A. Hill, M.D., Ph. D. The controversy in the United Kingdom started in 2013 when the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed statins were being overprescribed to people with low risk of heart disease, and that the drugs' side effects were worse than previously thought.
A: Yes. There have been several clinical studies — many of them done here at Cleveland Clinic — that show statins can reverse plaque buildup. Two statins in particular, atorvastatin, which is sold under the brand name Lipitor, and rosuvastatin, which is sold under the brand name Crestor, are the strongest statins.