Prescription rates of statins among new statin users
| Year | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | ||||||||||
| Yearly cohort size | 5956 | 9056 | 10 924 | 10 253 | 12 178 | 13 535 | 15 233 | 16 499 | 17 509 | 17 755 | ||||||||||
| Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Atorvastatin | 2014 | 33.8% | 3320 | 36.7% | 3926 | 35.9% | 3610 | 35.2% | 3883 | 31.9% | 4101 | 30.3% | 4322 | 28.4% | 4912 | 29.8% | 5841 | 33.4% | 6357 | 35.8% |
| Fluvastatin | 710 | 11.9% | 855 | 9.4% | 1063 | 9.7% | 1159 | 11.3% | 1109 | 9.1% | 1214 | 9.0% | 1284 | 8.4% | 1193 | 7.2% | 1186 | 6.8% | 1063 | 6.0% |
| Lovastatin | 1473 | 24.7% | 2829 | 31.2% | 3595 | 32.9% | 3112 | 30.4% | 2951 | 24.2% | 2298 | 17.0% | 1965 | 12.9% | 1724 | 10.4% | 1242 | 7.1% | 1025 | 5.8% |
| Pravastatin | 654 | 11.0% | 791 | 8.7% | 813 | 7.4% | 687 | 6.7% | 766 | 6.3% | 776 | 5.7% | 1005 | 6.6% | 1122 | 6.8% | 1438 | 8.2% | 1676 | 9.4% |
| Rosuvastatin | NA | NA | NA | 348 | 3.4% | 1690 | 13.9% | 2216 | 16.4% | 2739 | 18.0% | 3082 | 18.7% | 3396 | 19.4% | 3464 | 19.5% | |||
| Simvastatin | 1106 | 18.6% | 1262 | 13.9% | 1529 | 14.0% | 1339 | 13.1% | 1786 | 14.7% | 2940 | 21.7% | 3920 | 25.7% | 4478 | 27.1% | 4412 | 25.2% | 4190 | 23.6% |
| Monotherapy | 5872 | 98.6% | 8908 | 98.4% | 10 765 | 98.5% | 10 137 | 98.9% | 12 011 | 98.6% | 13 055 | 96.5% | 14 590 | 95.8% | 15 594 | 94.5% | 16 540 | 94.5% | 16 695 | 94.0% |
| Atorvastatin | 1984 | 33.8% | 3276 | 36.8% | 3861 | 35.9% | 3572 | 35.2% | 3829 | 31.9% | 4042 | 31.0% | 4266 | 29.2% | 4826 | 30.9% | 5727 | 34.6% | 6224 | 37.3% |
| Fluvastatin | 701 | 11.9% | 840 | 9.4% | 1045 | 9.7% | 1145 | 11.3% | 1093 | 9.1% | 1197 | 9.2% | 1268 | 8.7% | 1163 | 7.5% | 1168 | 7.1% | 1034 | 6.2% |
| Lovastatin | 1457 | 24.8% | 2777 | 31.2% | 3556 | 33.0% | 3089 | 30.5% | 2915 | 24.3% | 2264 | 17.3% | 1948 | 13.4% | 1691 | 10.8% | 1224 | 7.4% | 1006 | 6.0% |
| Pravastatin | 637 | 10.8% | 772 | 8.7% | 799 | 7.4% | 671 | 6.6% | 745 | 6.2% | 758 | 5.8% | 992 | 6.8% | 1108 | 7.1% | 1400 | 8.5% | 1628 | 9.8% |
| Rosuvastatin | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 343 | 3.4% | 1665 | 13.9% | 2164 | 16.6% | 2680 | 18.4% | 3016 | 19.3% | 3316 | 20.0% | 3386 | 20.3% |
| Simvastatin | 1093 | 18.6% | 1243 | 14.0% | 1504 | 14.0% | 1317 | 13.0% | 1764 | 14.7% | 2630 | 20.1% | 3436 | 23.6% | 3790 | 24.3% | 3705 | 22.4% | 3417 | 20.5% |
| Combination | 84 | 1.4% | 148 | 1.6% | 159 | 1.5% | 116 | 1.1% | 167 | 1.4% | 480 | 3.5% | 643 | 4.2% | 905 | 5.5% | 969 | 5.5% | 1060 | 6.0% |
| Statin + fibrate | 70 | 83.3% | 94 | 63.5% | 132 | 83.0% | 95 | 81.9% | 124 | 74.3% | 160 | 33.3% | 161 | 25.0% | 210 | 23.2% | 226 | 23.3% | 249 | 23.5% |
| Statin + ezetimibe | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 4.2% | 280 | 58.3% | 454 | 70.6% | 638 | 70.5% | 652 | 67.3% | 702 | 66.2% |
| Statin + others | 14 | 16.7% | 58 | 39.2% | 28 | 17.6% | 22 | 19.0% | 36 | 21.6% | 47 | 9.8% | 30 | 4.7% | 60 | 6.6% | 95 | 9.8% | 114 | 10.8% |
| Different intensity of statin therapy | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Low | 3039 | 51.0% | 4490 | 49.6% | 5112 | 46.8% | 4518 | 44.1% | 4477 | 36.8% | 4100 | 30.3% | 4065 | 26.7% | 4602 | 27.9% | 4954 | 28.3% | 4852 | 27.3% |
| Moderate | 2918 | 49.0% | 4564 | 50.4% | 5785 | 53.0% | 5688 | 55.5% | 7591 | 62.3% | 9261 | 68.4% | 10 903 | 71.6% | 11 634 | 70.5% | 12 200 | 69.7% | 12 599 | 71.0% |
| High | 1 | 0.0% | 6 | 0.1% | 32 | 0.3% | 49 | 0.5% | 118 | 1.0% | 187 | 1.4% | 272 | 1.8% | 279 | 1.7% | 365 | 2.1% | 333 | 1.9% |
Statins were grouped into three levels of intensity according to its ability of lowering LDL-C based on the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol7 and Rosenson et al 28: (1) high-intensity statins: atorvastatin ≧40 mg/day, rosuvastatin ≧20 mg/day and simvastatin ≧80 mg/day; (2) moderate-intensity statins: 10 mg/day ≦ atorvastatin <40 mg/day, 5 mg/day ≦ rosuvastatin <20 mg/day, 20 mg/day ≦ simvastatin <80 mg/day, pravastatin ≧40 mg/day, lovastatin ≧40 mg/day and fluvastatin ≧80 mg/day; and (3) low-intensity statins: atorvastatin <10 mg/day, rosuvastatin <5 mg/day, simvastatin <20 mg/day, pravastatin <40 mg/day, lovastatin <40 mg/day and fluvastatin <80 mg/day.
Combinations, statin + other lipid-modifying agents.
ACC/AHA, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NA, not applicable.