Rosuvastatin vs Lovastatin: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Rosuvastatin | Lovastatin | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 82,998 | 25,522 |
| Serious | 77% | 57% |
| Death outcome | 5,613 | 2,065 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Rosuvastatin | Lovastatin | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myopathy | 745 · PRR 9.6 | 74 · PRR 7.1 | Labeled adverse reaction / Labeled adverse reaction |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 487 · PRR 11.9 | 129 · PRR 23.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Likely indication confounding |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 290 · PRR 13.2 | 59 · PRR 19.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 264 · PRR 9.6 | 61 · PRR 16.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Carotid artery stenosis | 213 · PRR 6.6 | 25 · PRR 5.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Essential hypertension | 152 · PRR 6.4 | 20 · PRR 6.4 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
Labeled signals distinctive to Rosuvastatin
- Rhabdomyolysis — n=3,730, PRR 10.1 Labeled adverse reaction
Labeled signals distinctive to Lovastatin
- Renal injury — n=207, PRR 5.7 Labeled (related wording)
- Renal failure chronic — n=64, PRR 6.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Hair disorder — n=49, PRR 4.9 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Rosuvastatin or Lovastatin?
Rosuvastatin has 82,998 FAERS reports and Lovastatin 25,522. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (77% vs 57%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Rosuvastatin and Lovastatin share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for myopathy, nephrogenic anaemia, hyperparathyroidism secondary, rebound acid hypersecretion, carotid artery stenosis. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Rosuvastatin or Lovastatin safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.