What are the safety issues related to statins in different ethnicities?
Higher rosuvastatin plasma levels are seen in Japanese, Chinese, Malay, and Asian Indians as compared to non-Hispanic white individuals. FDA recommends a lower starting dose (5 mg of rosuvastatin in Asians vs. 10 mg in whites). Baseline serum CK values are higher in blacks than in non-Hispanic whites. The 95th percentile race/ ethnicity- specific and sex-specific serum CK normal levels are available for assessing changes in serum CK. Clinicians should take Asian race into account when prescribing dose of rosuvastatin (See package insert).