What is the difference between lovastatin and atorvastatin

Lovastatin and atorvastatin are lipid-lowering drugs approved to prevent heart attacks, stroke, and chest pain in patients with coronary heart disease. Other risk factors for complications from cardiovascular disease include Type 2 diabetes , high blood pressure, and smoking. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend statins to those at high risk of developing cardiovascular complications.

Lovastatin and atorvastatin are effective statin drugs for lowering cholesterol levels. The most effective statin is the one that lowers cholesterol levels the most without causing severe side effects.

Factors such as cost, dosage, and side effects can affect whether one statin will be better than another for a given person. A meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Preventative Care found that atorvastatin was more effective than lovastatin and other statins for preventing heart attacks in those with or at risk of heart disease. The study also evaluated the effectiveness of other statin drugs like simvastatin , pravastatin, fluvastatin, and rosuvastatin.

When compared to placebo, all statins included in the study were found to be effective in the primary prevention of major coronary events. According to a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 50 clinical trials published in the journal of Cardiovascular Therapeutics , rosuvastatin was found to be the most effective statin for lowering LDL-C levels.

Atorvastatin ranked second for lowering LDL-C levels. Lovastatin ranked first for lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, however. Other statin drugs included in the analysis included pitavastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin.

It is important to consult a healthcare provider for medical advice regarding the most effective statin medication for your condition.

Most Medicare and insurance plans will cover lovastatin. The copay will depend on the insurance plan and its coverage policy. Atorvastatin is usually covered by most Medicare and insurance plans. Most plans will cover most, if not all, of the cost of the medication. A prescription discount card is available to help reduce the cost of an atorvastatin prescription.

The exact cost of the prescription will depend on the dosage and quantity prescribed. The most common side effects of lovastatin are abdominal pain, constipation, weakness, muscle pain, and headache.

The most common side effects of atorvastatin are muscle pain, diarrhea, nasopharyngitis, joint pain, and urinary tract infections. Lovastatin and atorvastatin, like other statin drugs, can cause serious side effects in the muscles, such as myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Symptoms of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain and weakness. Both statin drugs can also cause liver enzyme abnormalities, which may need to be monitored throughout treatment.

Frequency is not based on data from a head-to-head trial. This may not be a complete list of adverse effects that can occur. Please refer to your doctor or healthcare provider to learn more. Lovastatin and atorvastatin can interact with many of the same drugs.

Lovastatin and atorvastatin are primarily metabolized, or processed, in the liver by the CYP3A4 enzyme. When taken with CYP3A4 inhibitors, blood levels of lovastatin or atorvastatin can increase. Increased levels of statin medications can lead to an increased risk of muscle pain and other adverse events.

Grapefruit juice can also act as a CYP3A4 inhibitor and should be avoided while taking a statin drug. Drugs that induce the CYP3A4 enzyme can increase the metabolism of lovastatin or atorvastatin and decrease statin blood levels. Decreased blood levels of a statin can lead to decreased effectiveness of the medication. CYP3A4 inducers include rifampin and carbamazepine.

Using lovastatin or atorvastatin with fibrates or high doses of niacin can increase the risk of muscle-related side effects. The combined use of these statins with fibrates or niacin may need to be monitored.

Lipitor has no generic at this time. In terms of potency, 10mg of Lipitor is roughly equivalent to 20mg of Zocor and 20mg of Mevacor. Twenty mg of Lipitor is at least as potent as 40mg of Mevacor. So if your doctor switched you from 20mg of Lipitor to 20mg of Mevacor, your cholesterol may go up. Lipitor is not as potent as Mevacor Lovastatin on a milligram for milligram basis. Therefore, these three statins can be taken at any time. In the accompanying figure , the authors offer an approach to determining which statin is appropriate for each patient.

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