Statins are widely prescribed to lower high cholesterol, a key factor in preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Among these medications, rosuvastatin has become a popular choice for its effectiveness.
However, a recent study from Johns Hopkins University has raised concerns about its potential impact on kidney health, especially at higher doses.
When rosuvastatin was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some reports suggested it could cause kidney problems, including hematuria (blood in the urine) and proteinuria (protein in the urine).
Despite these early warnings, little follow-up research had been done to understand how often these issues occur in real-life patients.
To investigate further, researchers analyzed electronic health records from 2011 to 2019. They studied a large group of 152,101 people who started taking rosuvastatin and compared them to 795,799 people who started another commonly used statin, atorvastatin.
Both drugs are effective at lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease, but the researchers wanted to see if rosuvastatin posed additional risks to kidney health.
Over a three-year follow-up period, they found that 2.9% of rosuvastatin users developed hematuria, and 1.0% developed proteinuria. These figures were noticeably higher when compared to atorvastatin users.
Rosuvastatin users faced an 8% higher risk of hematuria, a 17% higher risk of proteinuria, and a 15% higher risk of severe kidney problems that could lead to treatments like dialysis or kidney transplants.
The study also revealed that the risks increased with higher doses of rosuvastatin.
This was particularly concerning for people with advanced kidney disease, as nearly half of these patients were prescribed doses higher than the FDA’s recommended limit for those with poor kidney function.
Despite these findings, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin were found to offer similar benefits in reducing heart-related risks.
However, the researchers concluded that the kidney risks associated with rosuvastatin, especially at high doses, could outweigh its heart-protective effects for certain patients.
For individuals with advanced kidney disease, the study suggests that the risks of using rosuvastatin might not be worth the potential benefits. In such cases, alternative medications or adjusted dosages should be carefully considered.
This research, led by Dr. Jung-im Shin and published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, underscores the importance of monitoring kidney health in patients taking rosuvastatin.
It also highlights the need for healthcare providers to follow FDA guidelines when prescribing this medication, particularly for people with existing kidney problems.
Patients taking rosuvastatin should not stop their medication without consulting their doctor, as managing cholesterol is crucial for heart health.
However, those with concerns about kidney health or those taking high doses may benefit from discussing their options with their healthcare provider. Balancing the benefits and risks of treatment is key to ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about a big cause of heart failure, and common blood test could advance heart failure treatment.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about a new way to repair human heart, and results showing drinking coffee may help reduce heart failure risk.
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