Rosuvastatin, sold under the brand name Crestor among others, is a statin medication, used to prevent cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and treat abnormal lipids. It is recommended to be used with dietary changes, exercise, and weight loss. It is taken orally (by mouth).

Common side effects include abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, and muscle pains. Serious side effects may include rhabdomyolysis, liver problems, and diabetes. Use during pregnancy may harm the baby. Like all statins, rosuvastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme found in the liver that plays a role in producing cholesterol.

Rosuvastatin was patented in 1991 and approved for medical use in the United States in 2003. It is available as a generic medication. In 2023, it was the twelfth most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 42 million prescriptions. In Australia, it was the most prescribed medication, in 2023.

The primary use of rosuvastatin is to prevent cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and to treat abnormal lipid levels in the blood.

The effects of rosuvastatin on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are dose-related. Higher doses are more effective at improving the lipid profile of patients with hypercholesterolemia than milligram-equivalent doses of atorvastatin and milligram-equivalent or higher doses of simvastatin and pravastatin.

A meta-analysis showed that rosuvastatin can modestly increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood, similar to other statins. A 2014 Cochrane review determined there was good evidence for rosuvastatin lowering non-HDL levels linearly with dose.

Side effects are uncommon:

The following rare side effects are more serious. Like all statins, rosuvastatin can possibly cause myopathy, rhabdomyolysis: