Millions of people around the world take statins every day to lower their cholesterol. High cholesterol is known to raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes, so these medicines play an important role in protecting heart health.
One commonly used statin is rosuvastatin, which is often chosen because it works very well at lowering “bad” cholesterol. Doctors have prescribed it for years, and many patients take it without noticing any immediate problems.
However, new research suggests that rosuvastatin may not be harmless for everyone, especially when it is taken at high doses. Scientists from Johns Hopkins University have found signs that this drug could increase the risk of kidney problems, particularly in people who already have weak kidney function.
The kidneys are vital organs that clean waste and extra fluid from the blood. When they are damaged, harmful substances can build up in the body. Doctors often check kidney health by looking for blood or protein in the urine. Blood in the urine can be a sign that the kidneys are irritated or injured, while protein in the urine often means the kidneys are not filtering properly.
When rosuvastatin was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there were early reports linking it to kidney-related side effects, including blood and protein appearing in urine tests.
At the time, these warnings did not receive much attention, and few large studies followed up to see how often these problems happened in everyday medical practice.
To better understand the real-world risks, the Johns Hopkins research team looked at electronic health records collected between 2011 and 2019. They studied more than 150,000 people who started taking rosuvastatin and compared them with nearly 800,000 people who started taking another popular statin called atorvastatin.
Both drugs are widely prescribed and are known to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
The researchers followed these patients for about three years. During that time, they found that nearly 3 out of every 100 people taking rosuvastatin developed blood in their urine, and about 1 out of every 100 developed protein in their urine. These numbers were higher than those seen in people taking atorvastatin.
When the scientists compared the two groups more closely, they found that people using rosuvastatin had a higher chance of kidney-related problems.
Their risk of blood in the urine was 8% higher, their risk of protein in the urine was 17% higher, and their risk of serious kidney disease was 15% higher. Serious kidney disease can lead to life-changing treatments such as dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
The study also showed that the risk rose as the dose of rosuvastatin increased. This finding was especially worrying for patients with advanced kidney disease. The FDA recommends lower doses of rosuvastatin for people with poor kidney function, yet the study found that almost half of these patients were given doses above the suggested limit.
Importantly, the researchers found that rosuvastatin and atorvastatin were equally effective at protecting the heart. This means that for some patients, the added kidney risk of rosuvastatin may not provide extra heart benefits compared to safer alternatives.
For people with advanced kidney disease, the study suggests that rosuvastatin may not be the best choice, especially at high doses. Doctors may need to consider other statins or lower doses to reduce potential harm. This does not mean rosuvastatin should never be used, but it does mean that careful monitoring is important.
The study was led by Dr. Jung-im Shin and published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. It highlights the importance of following FDA guidelines and regularly checking kidney health in patients taking this medication.
Patients should not stop taking rosuvastatin on their own, as controlling cholesterol remains critical for preventing heart attacks and strokes.
However, people who have kidney disease or who are taking high doses may want to talk with their doctor about their treatment. Finding the right balance between heart protection and kidney safety is key to long-term health.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about pesticide linked to chronic kidney disease, and this drug may prevent kidney failure in people with diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about drug duo that may treat kidney failure, and results showing these vegetables may protect against kidney damage.
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