{"id":633436,"date":"2025-09-05T16:36:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=633436"},"modified":"2025-09-05T16:36:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:36:39","slug":"does-rosuvastatin-cause-weight-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/does-rosuvastatin-cause-weight-gain\/","title":{"rendered":"Does rosuvastatin cause weight gain?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rosuvastatin<\/span><\/a> is the generic version of<\/span> Crestor<\/span><\/a> and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lower cholesterol levels as well as triglycerides. Rosuvastatin is a type of <\/span>statin drug<\/span><\/a> that works by decreasing the amount of cholesterol the liver produces and decreasing cholesterol levels in the blood. Lowering cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol (\u201cbad\u201d cholesterol), helps prevent heart disease, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people taking rosuvastatin wonder whether rosuvastatin causes weight gain, whether they\u2019re noticing weight gain while taking the drug, or have heard people talking about this side effect. It\u2019s a concern many statin users have about rosuvastatin, as well as other common statin medications. Here, we\u2019ll unpack the question of whether rosuvastatin can cause weight gain, as well as weight loss options for people who notice increasing weight while taking rosuvastatin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can rosuvastatin cause weight gain?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although many people report<\/span> weight gain<\/span><\/a> while taking rosuvastatin and other statins, there is no research linking rosuvastatin use and weight gain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRosuvastatin has not been associated with clinically significant weight gain,\u201d says Diala Alatassi, MD, obesity medicine physician at<\/span> TeleSlim Clinic<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Dr. Alatassi notes, there is some research linking statin use with very small increases in body weight. For example,<\/span> a 2018 meta-analysis published by the American Heart Association<\/span><\/a> found that statin therapy increases body weight by 0.24 kg over the course of four years. But this small amount of weight gain \u201cdoes not make it clinically important,\u201d Dr. Alatassi says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why might rosuvastatin weight gain happen?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although rosuvastatin weight gain isn\u2019t a listed side effect of taking the medication, weight gain is something that both patients and healthcare professionals often notice. \u201cEven though weight gain isn\u2019t officially listed as a common side effect, I have had patients tell me they\u2019ve noticed it after starting rosuvastatin,\u201d says Annika Kariniemi, RN, APRN, CNP, a family nurse practitioner and founder of<\/span> Activ8 Health<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Kariniemi, while there\u2019s no clear evidence that rosuvastatin directly causes people to store more fat, there are a few other ways that the medication may play a role in weight increases.<\/span><\/p>\n