Background The ability of statins to reduce LDL-c plays an important role in both primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Such treatment can often be costly, but using generic atorvastatin may reduce cost by up to US$2635. In addition, a previous 8-week study found that it exhibited comparable efficacy to the brand-name medication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of generic atorvastatin over a longer period of six months in a real-world setting. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study in adult patients who had received brand-name atorvastatin for at least three months and then had switched to generic atorvastatin for at least six months. Lipid and safety profiles were evaluated at six months after switching. Adjusted analyses for age, sex, co-morbid disease, dosage, and indications for statin therapy were also performed. Results During the study period, there were 488 patients who met the study criteria. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 60.97 (12.26) years, and 48.36% were male (236 patients). At six months, average total cholesterol, HDL-c, and LDL-c were all lower, from 174.43 to 166.15 mg/dL, from 51.64 to 49.51 mg/dL, and from 110.08 to 100.78 mg/dL (p < 0.001), respectively. There were no significant differences in terms of any other laboratory test results. LDL-c exhibited the highest significant reduction at 9.30 mg/dL. Stratified analyses by age, sex, co-morbid disease, dose, and indications for statin therapy revealed similar decreases in HDL-c and LDL-c as in the study population as a whole. Conclusion Generic atorvastatin resulted in significantly lower LDL-c than name-brand atorvastatin but less of an increase in HDL-c.

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Background: There is limited long term data of generic atorvastatin in terms of clinical efficacy and safety. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of generic atorvastatin in a 12-month period. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study. The inclusion criteria were adult patients who received the original atorvastatin for at least three months and then switched to the generic atorvastatin for 12 months. Lipid profiles and safety profiles were evaluated after 12 months of switching therapy. Results: During the study period, there were 297 patients met the study criteria. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 61.05 (11.51) years. Male sex accounted for 46.80% (139 patients). For lipid outcomes, only HDL-c was significantly increased by 2.05 mg/dL (p 0.001). Serum creatinine was increasing by 0.07 mg/dL, while eGFR was decreasing by 2.55 ml/min/1.73m2. Other laboratory outcomes were not significantly changed after one year including ALT, AST, and CK. Conclusions: Generic atorvastatin had comparable effect on LDL-c reduction compared with the original atorvastatin. Renal deterioration were found with increasing HDL-c level in this study population with generic atorvastation. Physicians should be aware of declining of renal function in long term use of generic atorvastatin.