Liver toxicity of rosuvastatin therapy

We report here a case of clinically significant liver toxicity after a brief course of rosuvastatin, which is the first statin approved by the regulatory authorities since the withdrawal of cerivastatin. Whether rosuvastatin has a greater potential compared with other statins to damage the liver is unclear and the involved mechanisms are also unknown. However, rosuvastatin is taken up by hepatocytes more selectively and more efficiently than other statins, and this may reasonably represent an important variable to explain the hepatotoxic potential of rosuvastatin. Our report supports the view that a clinically significant risk of liver toxicity should be considered even when rosuvastatin is given at the range of doses used in common clinical practice.