From the FDA Drug Label
The elimination half-life of rosuvastatin is approximately 19 hours The half-life of Crestor (rosuvastatin) is approximately 19 hours 1.
From the Research
The half-life of Crestor (rosuvastatin) is approximately 20 hours. This relatively long half-life means that the medication remains active in the body for an extended period, allowing for once-daily dosing typically taken at the same time each day. Rosuvastatin is a statin medication that works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol production in the liver. The long half-life of rosuvastatin contributes to its sustained effectiveness in lowering LDL cholesterol levels throughout a 24-hour period. Unlike some other statins with shorter half-lives, rosuvastatin's extended duration of action helps maintain consistent cholesterol-lowering effects between doses, which may contribute to its potency compared to some other medications in the same class. This pharmacokinetic property allows patients to take the medication at any time of day, though evening dosing is sometimes recommended to align with the body's natural cholesterol synthesis cycle 2.
Some key points to consider:
- The half-life of rosuvastatin is approximately 20 hours, which is relatively long compared to other statins 2.
- Rosuvastatin achieves maximum plasma concentration at a median of 5 h under fasting conditions following single and multiple doses 2.
- The overall mean total clearance of rosuvastatin is 28.3 L/h and the average terminal elimination half-life is approximately 20 h 2.
- There is considerable variation in the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin between races, with the overall mean total clearance of the drug in Caucasian subjects being 1.7-fold higher than that in healthy Chinese subjects 2.
It's worth noting that while the half-life of rosuvastatin is approximately 20 hours, the medication can be effective even when taken on an alternate-day basis, although daily dosing may provide a statistically significant advantage in LDL-C reduction 3. However, the most recent and highest quality study available, which is from 2021, provides the most accurate information on the half-life of rosuvastatin 2.