The voluntary withdrawal of cerivastatin from the US market in 2001 prompted concern regarding statin safety. Although the remaining available statins in 2002 have proven to be safe in the vast majority of patients receiving them, no drug is entirely free of side effects.

There are 3 well-known adverse events that should be considered with statin therapy:
muscle-related AEs, liver-related AEs, and effects on renal function. The incidence of these AEs with various statins will be reviewed in the following sections.

Reference

Pasternak RC, Smith SC Jr, Bairey-Merz CN, et al. ACC/AHA/NHLBI clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins. Circulation. 2002;106:1024-1028.