{"id":633113,"date":"2025-08-07T14:43:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T18:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=633113"},"modified":"2025-10-15T15:21:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T19:21:42","slug":"best-statin-for-kidney-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/best-statin-for-kidney-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Best statin for kidney disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people know statins as a class of cholesterol-lowering medications that are extremely popular. As of 2019, <\/span>35% of Americans were taking a statin<\/span><\/a> to help lower their cholesterol levels. Yet dropping overall low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels isn\u2019t the only benefit of statins. They can also help prevent kidney damage and cardiovascular disease in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). That said, there are some considerations people with kidney disease should consider before starting statin therapy. Here\u2019s all the info you need about taking statins for patients with kidney disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do statins affect people with kidney disease?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are two main reasons why statins are helpful for people with kidney disease: They reduce the risk of heart disease and may help prevent kidney damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>American Heart Association says<\/span><\/a> that half of people with stage 4 or 5 CKD also have cardiovascular disease. And <\/span>studies show <\/span><\/a>that the cardiovascular mortality rate is 58%\u201371% for people with CKD, compared to 22%\u201327.5% for people with normal renal function. So statins, which lower the risk of cardiovascular issues, are important for these patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Statins help prevent the buildup of LDL-C in the blood vessels, and that includes vessels feeding the kidneys. Also, <\/span>a 2021 study<\/span><\/a> showed statin use helps slow kidney disease progression by reducing urinary albumin and protein excretion and increasing creatinine clearance. \u201cThey also provide additional benefits, such as reducing inflammation, offering antioxidant protection against cell damage, improving blood flow, and slowing the buildup of plaque and hardening of the arteries,\u201d says <\/span>Raeeda Gheewala, MD<\/span><\/a>, founder and CEO of <\/span>Sports Nephrology<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn patients with end-stage kidney failure already on dialysis, evidence supporting the initiation of statins is less robust; however, continuing statin therapy is reasonable if it is well tolerated,\u201d Dr. Gheewala adds. \u201cAn individualized approach is essential, and this is where the art of medicine truly comes into play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But there are downsides to statin use, too. While statins typically help protect the kidneys, <\/span>research from 2016<\/span><\/a> showed that long-term statin use might actually increase the risk of acute kidney injury for some people. Additionally, CKD patients who take statins may have <\/span>an increased risk of myopathy<\/span><\/a>\u2014including muscle pain and muscle breakdown. <\/span>One study showed<\/span><\/a> an elevated risk of rhabdomyolysis, a particular type of myopathy where components of broken-down muscle are released into the bloodstream.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why healthcare providers monitor kidney function and overall health routinely when you\u2019re taking a statin for CKD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n