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Brand name: Simvastatin (AN) TM
Active ingredients: simvastatin
What it is used for
Adjunct to diet for treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. Prior to initiating therapy with simvastatin, secondary causes of hypercholesterolaemia (e.g. poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, dysproteinaemias, obstructive liver disease, other drug therapy, alcoholism) should be identified and treated. Simvastatin is indicated in patients at high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (with or without hypercholesterolaemia) including patients with diabetes, history of stroke or other cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vessel disease, or with existing CHD to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, major cardiovascular events including stroke, and hospitalisation due to angina pectoris. These effects do not replace the need to independently control known causes of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity such as hypertension, diabetes and smoking.
How to take it
You should seek medical advice in relation to medicines and use only as directed by a healthcare professional.
- The way to take this medicine: Oral
- Store below 25 degrees Celsius
- Shelf lifetime is 3 Years.
Always read the label. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional.
Visual appearance
Light pink coloured, round shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets, debossed with 'A' on one side and '01' on the other side
Images are the copyright of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Do I need a prescription?
This medicine is available from a pharmacist and requires a prescription. It is
Is this medicine subsidised?
This medicine was verified as being available on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) on November 1, 2018. To learn more about this subsidy, visit the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) website.
Pregnant or planning a pregnancy?
For the active ingredient simvastatin
You should seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist about taking this medicine. They can help you balance the risks and the benefits of this medicine during pregnancy.
Download leaflet
For side effects, taking other medicines and more
Download consumer medicine information leaflet (pdf) from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website
Reporting side effects
You can help ensure medicines are safe by reporting the side effects you experience.
You can report side effects to your doctor, or directly at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems
Need more information?
These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results
Simvastatin AN Tablets - myDr.com.au
Simvastatin AN Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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Simvastatin Generichealth Tablets - myDr.com.au
Simvastatin Generichealth Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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Simvastatin Sandoz Tablets - myDr.com.au
Simvastatin Sandoz Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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Chemmart Simvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
Chemmart Simvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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APO-Simvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
APO-Simvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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Terry White Chemists Simvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
Terry White Chemists Simvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
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Simvastatin-Spirit Tablets - myDr.com.au
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Simvastatin-DRLA Tablets - myDr.com.au
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Vytorin 10/10 Tablets - myDr.com.au
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Statin medicines: frequently asked questions | NPS MedicineWise
Statinsare medicines that work to lower the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. Find out more about how they work.
Read more on NPS MedicineWise website
Top results
There good evidence that statins given in late life to individuals at risk of vascular disease have no effect in preventing dementia | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Statins for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease | Cochrane
High levels of cholesterol (a fatty substance known as a lipid) in the blood are thought to contribute to the cause of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The statin family of medications (lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin and others) are powerful cholesterol-lowering medications and are first-line treatments for reducing cholesterol in people with, or at risk of, cardiovascular disease. There has been much interest in the possible role of statins in the treatment of dementia.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Statins for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Cochrane
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with no or very little alcohol consumption is characterised by hepatic histological changes similar to those associated with alcohol-induced liver injury. A range of histological changes can be seen. Some patients have fat accumulation in hepatocytes without significant inflammation or fibrosis (simple hepatic steatosis or NAFLD), but others have hepatic steatosis with prominent necro-inflammatory changes with or without associated fibrosis (this is NASH). Although NAFLD and NASH are common conditions, no effective medical treatment is available to correct the abnormal liver enzymes and adverse outcomes associated with them. This systematic review identified two randomised clinical trials with very small numbers of participants. One of the trials was a pilot trial and compared simvastatin with placebo, and the other trial assessed atorvastatin versus fenofibrate versus a combination of the two. The small pilot trial (n = 16 patients) assessing simvastatin versus placebo in NASH patients did not show significant effects on liver enzyme activities or liver histology. No adverse events were reported. The other trial compared atorvastatin versus fenofibrate versus a group receiving both interventions in 186 patients with NAFLD. There were no statistically significant differences between any of the three intervention groups regarding the 54 week mean activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, or alkaline phosphatases (liver enzymes) in the blood. The triglyceride levels seemed higher in the fenofibrate group compared with the atorvastatin group. Liver histology was not assessed in this trial. The presence of biochemical and ultrasonographic evidence of NAFLD seemed higher in the fenofibrate group compared with the other two intervention groups. Three patients discontinued treatment due to myalgia and elevated serum creatine kinase activity, one from the atorvastatin group and two from the combination group. Another patient from the atorvastatin group discontinued treatment due to raised alanine aminotransferase activity, over three times the upper normal limit. Both trials were at high risk of bias (that is, overestimation of benefits and underestimation of harms). Furthermore, the groups were small raising the risks of random errors (that is, play of chance). Accordingly, we did not find evidence to support or refute the use of statins for patients with NAFLD or NASH. Further unbiased trials with larger numbers of patients looking explicitly at patient-related outcomes of interest (for example, quality of life, development of cirrhosis, and mortality) are needed to assess the effects of statins on NAFLD or NASH.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Statins for acute coronary syndrome | Cochrane
Long-term therapy with statins (for at least one year) has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality in patients with and without established coronary heart disease. The early period following an acute coronary syndrome is a critical stage of coronary heart disease, with a high risk of recurrent events and death. We aimed to determine if early initiation of statins improves patient-relevant outcomes within the first four months following an acute coronary syndrome. This review is an update of a review previously published in 2011 that included 18 studies, enrolling 14,303 patients. The update of this review did not identify any new studies for inclusion. We did not find a significant risk reduction for all-cause mortality, heart attack, or stroke within the first four months. We had some concerns about risk of bias and imprecision of the results. The risk of unstable angina was reduced by about 25% at four months following acute coronary syndrome. Serious side effects from early treatment with statins were rare (0.1%), and serious muscle toxicity was mostly observed with simvastatin 80 mg.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
The use of Statins, cholesterol lowering agents, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) | Cochrane
MS is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system and it is thought to be related to abnormal working of the immune system. Preliminary studies have shown thatstatins, cholesterol lowering agents, have potential immunological regulation effects which may be beneficial for MS. Furthermore, statins are usually orally administered, are less expensive than other MS treatment, and are easily available.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Lipid-lowering agents for nephrotic syndrome | Cochrane
Nephrotic syndrome is a relatively rare disease in which the kidneys leak protein into the urine. A common early sign is swelling in the feet and face. Other signs and symptoms of nephrotic syndrome include low levels of protein in the blood, and high levels of fats in the blood, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Statins for delaying the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Lipid-lowering for peripheral arterial disease of the lower limb | Cochrane
Atheroma (fatty deposits) in the walls of the arteries to the legs can lead to peripheral arterial disease with insufficient blood flow to the muscles and other tissues. People with peripheral arterial disease often do not have symptoms. The most common symptom is intermittent claudication, which is characterised by leg pain and weakness brought on by walking, with disappearance of the symptoms following a brief rest. Lipid-lowering therapies may reduce cardiovascular events and worsening of local disease for people with lower limb peripheral arterial disease. They are recommended to people with coronary artery disease, for prevention of myocardial infarction and stroke.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Medications for cognitive decline in people with Down syndrome | Cochrane
People with Down syndrome often experience cognitive decline (a deterioration in memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes) at a younger age and in greater numbers than the general population. Various medicines have been shown to improve, or at least slow down the progression of these symptoms in people without Down syndrome.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Lipid lowering in renal disease | Issue 4 | Volume 40 | Australian Prescriber | Australian Prescriber
Statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease who do not require...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
