HMG COA reductase inhibitors:

Atorvastatin (Lipitor ®) Fluvastatin (Lescol ®)
Lovastatin (Mevacor ®) Pravastatin (Pravachol ®)
Rosuvastatin (Crestor ®) Simvastatin (Zocor ®)

Combination products
Advicor ® (lovastatin + niacin SR) Vytorin ® (simvastatin +ezetimibe)

Other
ezetimibe (Zetia ®) Niacin (Vitamin B3 )

Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III Analysis
Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III Calc Impact of drug therapy

Atorvastatin (Lipitor ®)  top of page icon
Supplied:  10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg
Dosing:  Hyperlipidemias:  Adults:  Oral: Initial: 10-20 mg once daily.  Patients requiring >45% reduction in LDL-C may be started at 40 mg once daily.  Range: 10 to 80 mg once daily.
Adjustments should be made at intervals of 2-4 weeks.

Fluvastatin (Lescol ®) top of page icon
Supplied: Capsule: 20 mg, 40 mg. Tablet, extended release (Lescol® XL): 80 mg

Dosing: Dyslipidemia: Oral: (Adults): Patients requiring >/= 25% decrease in LDL-C: 40 mg capsule once daily in the evening, 80 mg XL tablet once daily (anytime), or 40 mg capsule twice daily. Patients requiring <25% decrease in LDL-C: Initial: 20 mg capsule once daily in the evening; may increase based on tolerability and response to a maximum recommended dose of 80 mg/day, given in 2 divided doses (capsule) or as a single daily dose (XL tablet).

Lovastatin (Mevacor ®) top of page icon
Supplied:  Tablet: 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg.  Tablet, extended release: 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg
Dosing:  Dyslipidemia: Oral:  (Adults): Initial: 20 mg with evening meal, then adjust at 4-week intervals; maximum: 80 mg/day immediate release tablet or 60 mg/day extended release tablet.

Dosage modification/limits based on concurrent therapy:  Cyclosporine and other immunosuppressant drugs: Initial dose: 10 mg/day with a maximum recommended dose of 20 mg/day.
CConcurrent therapy with fibrates, danazol, and/or lipid-lowering doses of niacin (>1 g/day): Maximum recommended dose: 20 mg/day. Concurrent use with fibrates should be avoided unless risk to benefit favors use.  Concurrent therapy with amiodarone or verapamil: Maximum recommended dose: 40 mg/day of regular release or 20 mg/day with extended release.

Pravastatin (Pravachol ®) top of page icon
Supplied:  10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg
Dosing:  Hyperlipidemias: Oral:  (Adults): Initial: 40 mg once daily; titrate dosage to response (usual range: 10-80 mg) (maximum dose: 80 mg once daily).

Dosage adjustment based on concomitant cyclosporine: Oral: Initial: 10 mg/day, titrate with caution (maximum dose: 20 mg/day).

Rosuvastatin (Crestor ®) top of page icon
Supplied:  5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg

Dosing: Hypercholesterolemia; mixed dyslipidemia: Oral: (Adults):  Initial dose: 10 mg once daily (20 mg in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia).   Conservative dosing: Patients requiring less aggressive treatment or predisposed to myopathy (including patients of Asian descent): 5 mg once daily.   Titration: After 2 weeks, may be increased by 5-10 mg once daily; dosing range: 5 to 40 mg/day (maximum dose: 40 mg once daily).
DDosage adjustment with concomitant medications: Oral: Cyclosporine: Rosuvastatin dose should not exceed 5 mg/day.  Gemfibrozil: Rosuvastatin dose should not exceed 10 mg/day.  Dosage adjustment for persistent, unexplained proteinuria while on 40 mg/day: Reduce dose and evaluate causes.

Simvastatin (Zocor ®) top of page icon
Supplied:  5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg

Dosing:   Oral: (Adults):  Prevention of cardiovascular events, hyperlipidemias: Oral: 20-40 mg once daily in the evening; range: 5 to 80 mg/day.
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: Oral: 40 mg once daily in the evening or 80 mg/day (given as 20 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg evening dose). 
Patients requiring only moderate reduction of LDL-cholesterol: May be started at 10 mg once daily
Patients requiring reduction of >45% in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: May be started at 40 mg once daily in the evening.  Patients with CHD or at high risk for CHD: Dosing should be started at 40 mg once daily in the evening; simvastatin may be started simultaneously with diet.

Dosage adjustment for simvastatin with concomitant medications:  Cyclosporine or danazol: Patient must first demonstrate tolerance to simvastatin >/= 5 mg once daily: Initial: 5 mg, should not exceed 10 mg/day.  Fibrates or niacin: Dose should not exceed 10 mg/day. Amiodarone or verapamil: Dose should not exceed 20 mg/day.

Combination products:

Advicor ®  (lovastatin + niacin SR)  top of page icon
Indicated for the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia (heterozygous familial and nonfamilial) and mixed dyslipidemia.

Dosing (Adults): 
Usual initial dose: 500 mg/20 mg. The dose of Advicor should not be increased by more than 500 mg daily (based on the niacin component) every 4 weeks. Doses > 2000 mg/40 mg daily are not recommended.

Supplied: 20/500, 20/750mg, 20/1000mg tablet.

Vytorin ®  (simvastatin + ezetimibe ) top of page icon
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor + cholesterol absorption inhibitor.

Dosing (Adults): 
Usual initial dose: Ezetimibe 10 mg and simvastatin 20 mg once daily in the evening. Patients who require >55% reduction in LDL-C: Initial: Ezetimibe 10 mg and simvastatin 40 mg once daily.

Renal dosing: In severe dysfunction, start only if patient tolerates 5 mg daily of simvastatin. Monitor closely.

Supplied: ( Ezetimibe / simvastatin) 10/10 , 10/20, 10/40, 10/80.

Other:

ezetimibe (Zetia ®)  top of page icon
Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitor.
Adult (usual): Hypercholesterolemia: 10 mg po qd.

Moderate reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (less than 20%) have been reported with monotherapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia. As add-on therapy, it may enable reduced doses of statins. The drug is approved for primary hypercholesterolemia, for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (combined with atorvastatin or simvastatin), and for homozygous sitosterolemia.

Supplied: 10 mg tablet.

Niacin  (Vitamin B3 ) top of page icon

Hyperlipidemia:
Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are the two common forms of the vitamin most often referred to as niacin. OTC preparations that are marketed as causing "no flush" may have no free nicotinic acid and are ineffective in treating dyslipidemia.

Dosing (Adults): 
Regular release formulation (Niacor®): Initial: 250 mg once daily (with evening meal); increase frequency and/or dose every 4-7 days to desired response or first-level therapeutic dose (1.5-2 g/day in 2-3 divided doses); after 2 months, may increase at 2- to 4-week intervals to 3 g/day in 3 divided doses

Extended release formulation (Niaspan®): 500 mg at bedtime for 4 weeks, then 1 g at bedtime for 4 weeks; adjust dose to response and tolerance; can increase to a maximum of 2 g/day, but only at 500 mg/day at 4-week intervals.

Administer with food. Administer Niaspan® at bedtime. Niaspan® tablet strengths are not interchangeable. When switching from immediate release tablet, initiate Niaspan® at lower dose and titrate.
MONITORING— Blood glucose; liver function tests (dyslipidemia, high dose, prolonged therapy) pretreatment and every 6-12 weeks for first year then periodically; lipid profile.
 

Disclaimer
Listed dosages are for - Adult patients ONLY. PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER CAREFULLY BEFORE ACCESSING OR USING THIS SITE. BY ACCESSING OR USING THIS SITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THE DISCLAIMER. GlobalRPH does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or provide medical services and therefore assumes no liability whatsoever of any kind for the information and data accessed through the Service or for any diagnosis or treatment made in reliance thereon.

David F. McAuley, Pharm.D., R.Ph.  GlobalRPh Inc.

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