Table 1

Characteristics of statins

Characteristic	Lovastatin	Pravastatin	Simvastatin	Atorvastatin	Fluvastatin	Cerivastatin
Maximal dose (mg/day)	80	40	80	80	40	0.4

Maximal serum LDL cholesterol reduction (%)	40	34	47	60	24	28

Serum LDL cholesterol reduction (%)^1-150	34	34	41	50	24	28

Serum triglyceride reduction (%)^1-150	16	24	18	29	10	13

Serum HDL cholesterol increase (%)^1-150	8.6	12	12	6	8	10

Plasma half life (hours)	2	1–2	1–2	14	1.2	2–3

Effect of food on drug absorption	Increased absorption	Decreased absorption	None	None	Negligible	None

Optimal time of administration	With meals (morning and evening)	Bedtime	Evening	Evening	Bedtime	Evening

Penetration of central nervous system	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes

Renal excretion of absorbed dose (%)	10	20	13	2	< 6	33

Mechanism of hepatic metabolism	Cytochrome P450 3A4	Sulfation	Cytochrome P450 3A4	Cytochrome P450 3A4	Cytochrome P450 2C9	Cytochrome P450, 3A4. 2C8

↵1-150 This effect was elicited by a daily dose of 40 mg of lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and fluvastatin, and by a daily dose of 0.3 mg of cerivastatin in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.
Reproduced from Knopp, N Engl J Med1999;341:498-511, with permission of the publisher.