Tufts-New England Medical Center Study Shows Crestor Side Effects Dangers

In an effort to keep our clients informed, your Crestor side effects Lawyer provides this press release on the Crestor side effects study by Tufts-New England Medical Center. The study shows that Crestor can be far more dangerous than similar statin drugs. If you or a loved one has been injured by Crestor side effects, click here to contact your Crestor side effects lawyer.

Rosuvastatin (Crestor) Study Raises Safety Issues

Monday May 23, 4:00 pm ET

BOSTON, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In a study released today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers from Tufts-New England Medical Center's Molecular Cardiology Research Center and the Division of Cardiology compared the safety profiles of the three most commonly used statins, atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), and Pravastatin (Pravachol), versus the more recently introduced statin, rosuvastatin (Crestor). After reviewing a national database for adverse event reports, the study found rosuvastatin (Crestor) to have the poorest safety profile. The most serious reactions resulted in damage to the kidney (proteinuria/nephropathy), and muscle (rhabdomyolysis), which frequently resulted in patients requiring hospitalization.

"It is very important to note that as a family, statins are very safe drugs that have clearly been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease," said Richard H. Karas, MD, PhD, lead author and Co-Director of Tufts-NEMC's Molecular Cardiology Research Center. "Although rosuvastatin (Crestor) was found to be less safe than others, it does not mean patients should immediately stop taking this medication. In fact, the overall risks of rosuvastatin remain low, and people taking this drug should talk to their doctor before deciding whether to continue on it or stop it."

Karas and his colleagues Alawi Alseikh-Ali, MD; Marietta Ambrose, MD; and Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, analyzed 145 rosuvastatin-associated adverse events reported to the US Food and Drug Administration over its first year of marketing and compared the rates of such events with other statins simultaneously and during their respective first year of marketing. The review found that with either comparison, rosuvastatin (Crestor) was significantly more likely to be associated with rhabdomyolysis, proteinuria, nephropathy or kidney failure.

"This study raises concern about the safety of this drug at the range of doses currently used in common clinical practice in the general population," said Karas. "I would advise healthcare providers to consider other statins as first-line therapy, to initiate therapy in appropriate patients at lower doses, to consider combination LDL-C lowering therapy, and to closely monitor patients for adverse events if rosuvastatin (Crestor) is used."

About Tufts-New England Medical Center

Tufts-NEMC is a world-class, academic medical institution that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and the Floating Hospital for Children and has long been recognized as a leader in cancer care, cardiology, organ transplantation and pediatrics. Founded in 1796 as the Boston Dispensary to care for sick and needy Bostonians, Tufts-New England Medical Center is the oldest health care facility in New England. It serves as the primary clinical and teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, access our web site http://www.tufts-nemc.org.

Contact:
Melissa McPherson
Tufts-New England Medical Center
617-636-0200

Weitz & Luxenberg is no longer accepting new Crestor cases.

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