Request Legal Help Now - Free

Advertisement
LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION

Consumer Reports Weighs in On Crestor Issues

. By
Seattle, WAConcerns about Crestor side effects, which reportedly include an increased risk of diabetes, have led some critics to question whether Crestor and other statin drugs are being over-prescribed. Crestor issues as they relate to health are compounded when the financial cost of the drug is included. Now, Consumer Reports is weighing in on the debate, and its recommendations include trying generic, lower-dose statins before taking Crestor.

Statins such as Crestor are used to lower a patient’s cholesterol level, thereby decreasing the risk of stroke. In 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a change to the drug labels in the statin class, to warn about the risk of side effects, including muscle injury. Some statins are reportedly linked to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiomyopathy.

Meanwhile, the rate of rhabdomyolysis seen with Crestor was 6.2 times higher than with all other statins combined.
In 2005, a letter from Public Citizen Director Sidney Wolfe to the FDA made clear Public Citizen’s view on Crestor. In his letter, Wolfe argued that the rate of rhabdomyolysis (a life-threatening muscle condition) was 21.8 times higher than the rate in Pravachol, also a statin (which had the lowest rate of rhabdomyolysis).

Wolfe also argued that the rate of acute renal failure in patients who did not have rhabdomyolysis was 75 times higher in Crestor than other statins combined. At the time, Public Citizen demanded that the FDA pull Crestor from the market. The FDA has not done so.

More recently, Consumer Reports recommended that patients trying a statin opt for a lower-dose/less-expensive option than Crestor. The organization noted that Crestor costs around $175 a month while generic statins cost between $75 and $100 a month.

In the organization’s report, “Evaluating statin drugs to treat: High Cholesterol and Heart Disease,” Consumer Reports notes that patients who take a high-intensity statin like Crestor but do not meet the criteria for a high-potency statin could save thousands of dollars over the course of their statin treatment by switching to a moderate-intensity statin.

“Crestor has been shown to reduce heart attacks and deaths, but there is no reason to take it instead of generic atorvastatin, which is about half the price, depending on dose,” the report recommends.

READ ABOUT CRESTOR LAWSUITS

Crestor Legal Help

If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your Crestor claim at no cost or obligation.

READER COMMENTS

Posted by

on
Creator is bad product and dose not fix or help any conditions it is claiming I say this after having a heart attack and being prescribed creator 40 mg only to have another heart attack months later while taking creator after second heart attack 8 months later I had 3rd heart attack and had to have blood clot removed from right wrist also while taking I had muscle problems this product is deadly if you need cholesterol help try red rice yeast it's natural hope this helps .

ADD YOUR COMMENT ON THIS STORY

Please read our comment guidelines before posting.


Note: Your name will be published with your comment.


Your email will only be used if a response is needed.

Are you the defendant or a subject matter expert on this topic with an opposing viewpoint? We'd love to hear your comments here as well, or if you'd like to contact us for an interview please submit your details here.


Click to learn more about LawyersandSettlements.com

Request Legal Help Now! - Free