Rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin, known by the brand name Crestor^®, is a prescription statin medication used to manage high cholesterol. It is prescribed to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and reduce triglycerides. It’s also used to help prevent heart attack, stroke, and other complications in people with risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of heart disease.

Rosuvastatin works by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver responsible for cholesterol production, which helps slow the progression of atherosclerosis, aka the buildup of plaque on the artery walls. It’s most effective in combination with lifestyle changes, such as a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

Common side effects include headache, muscle aches, nausea, and abdominal pain. Though rare, serious side effects such as liver enzyme abnormalities or rhabdomyolysis (a form of muscle breakdown) may occur, especially at higher doses or in combination with other medications. Regular blood tests are recommended to monitor liver function and muscle health during treatment.

Crestor (rosuvastatin) is indicated:

• To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or an arterial revascularization procedure) in adults without established coronary heart disease who are at increased risk of CV disease based on age, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) ≥2 mg/L, and at least one additional CV risk factor

• As an adjunct to diet to:

  • Reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia

  • Reduce LDL-C and slow the progression of atherosclerosis in adults

  • Reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).

• As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies, or alone if such treatments are unavailable, to reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 7 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH)

• As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with:

  • Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia

  • Hypertriglyceridemia

HMG Co‑A reductase inhibitor (statin)

Most frequent adverse reactions (rate ≥2%) are:

• Headache

• Nausea

• Muscle aches

• Weakness

• Constipation

The cost of rosuvastatin varies depending on factors such as your insurance plan, which pharmacy you use, the dosage, and the quantity. Without insurance, the average retail cost of rosuvastatin is about $10 for a month’s supply of 10-milligram (mg) tablets, but coupons and discount cards can bring down the cost as low as $2.

Brand-name Crestor costs about $330 for the same amount of medication, but coupons may bring down the price as low as about $285.

Health insurance plans may cover some or all of the cost of these medications.

• Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis

• Hypersensitivity to rosuvastatin or any excipients in Crestor

• Drug interactions: aluminum and magnesium hydroxide combination antacids, warfarin

• Myopathy and rhabdomyolysis

• Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM)

• Liver dysfunction

• Pregnancy: May cause fetal harm

• Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding not recommended during treatment with Crestor

*This information is from the label for brand name Crestor^®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Rosuvastatin, the active ingredient in Crestor, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient rosuvastatin.