Statins: the complete list, ranked by safety record
All 7 statins we track, ranked by our independent FDA recall-safety score. Unlike a plain list, every drug here carries its safety record, what it treats, whether a generic exists, and how long it stays in your body.
Statins are the main class of cholesterol-lowering medicines. Doctors prescribe them to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, both in people who already have heart disease and in those at high risk of it.
How they work: Statins block HMG-CoA reductase, the liver enzyme that makes cholesterol, so the body produces less of it and pulls more LDL cholesterol out of the blood.
What everyone taking one should know
Statins are a long-term, risk-reduction treatment, meant to be continued even when you feel well. Their signature class-wide side effect is muscle-related: dose-dependent myopathy (muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness) and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis, a serious breakdown of muscle tissue. Report unexplained muscle pain or weakness to a clinician.
| Drug | Safety | Generic? | Treats |
|---|---|---|---|
| lovastatin | 72/100 | Yes | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
| pravastatin sodium | 72/100 | Brand only | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
| simvastatin Half-life: about 2 hours | 70/100 | Brand only | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
| fluvastatin sodium | 64/100 | Brand only | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
| pitavastatin sodium Half-life: about 12 hours | 56/100 | Brand only | Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipoproteinemias |
| atorvastatin calcium Half-life: about 14 hours | unrated | Brand only | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
| rosuvastatin calcium Half-life: about 19 hours | unrated | Brand only | Coronary Artery Disease, Hypercholesterolemia |
Ranked by our independent recall-safety score (higher is better), which reflects the FDA recall and enforcement record — not effectiveness. A higher score is not medical advice to switch; which drug is right for you is a prescriber’s decision. 2 are unrated (too little regulatory history to score) and sort last.
Sources
Other drug classes: NSAIDs · Benzodiazepines · Opioids · Beta blockers · SSRIs · SNRIs · ACE inhibitors · ARBs · Proton pump inhibitors · Calcium channel blockers · Macrolide antibiotics.
The list is built from the FDA’s Established Pharmacologic Class tags, so it reflects the drugs in this class that we track (one row per active ingredient). Safety scores come from the FDA recall and enforcement record. This is general reference information, not medical advice — do not start, stop or switch a medication based on it; talk to your prescriber or pharmacist.