Lipitor vs Crestor - How do they compare?

Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) and Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) are both cholesterol medications. They are quite similar in many aspects.

Both Crestor and Lipitor belong to a class of drugs called statins. They work in the same way to reduce blood cholesterol.Their side effect profiles are similar as are their warnings and precautions. Both are approved to treat similar conditions - high cholesterol & triglycerides and to prevent heart attack & stroke in patients who as yet do not have heart disease.

Crestor is approved to slow the progression of atherosclerosis, while Lipitor is not. Lipitor is approved to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and certain heart procedures (such as bypass surgery) in people with heart disease, while Crestor is not.

Crestor does not appear to interact with grapefruit juice while Lipitor does interact with grapefruit juice.

One study compared Crestor with various statins, including Lipitor. Crestor seemed to be a little more effective than Lipitor when directly compared . However, this study lasted only six weeks and was "open label" (both the patients and the health care providers knew which medications were given).