Lovastatin is a prodrug, an inactive lactone in its native form, the gamma-lactone closed ring form in which it is administered, is hydrolysed in vivo to the β-hydroxy acid open ring form; which is the active form. Lovastatin is used to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart complications in people with diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other risk factors. Lovastatin is used in adults and children who are at least 10 years old. Lovastatin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. Lovastatin is in a class of drugs known as statins, which reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood by blocking an enzyme that's needed to make cholesterol. Commonly reported side effects of lovastatin include: increased creatine phosphokinase in blood specimen and increased serum transaminases. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects. For the Consumer. Applies to lovastatin: oral tablet, oral tablet extended release. Along with its needed effects, lovastatin may cause some unwanted. Lovastatin is also used to decrease the amount of cholesterol (a fat-like substance) and other fatty substances in the blood. Lovastatin is in a class of medications called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body to decrease the amount of cholesterol that may build up on the walls of the arteries and block blood flow to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Find patient medical information for Lovastatin Oral on WebMD including its uses, side effects and safety, interactions, pictures, warnings and user ratings. Lovastatin may also slow the progression of atherosclerosis in people with preexisting coronary heart disease. Lovastatin is also indicated in some genetic lipid disorders (such as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia) in adolescents aged 10 to 17 meeting certain criteria. Introduction Lovastatin is a commonly used cholesterol lowering agent (statin) that is associated with mild, asymptomatic and self-limited serum aminotransferase elevations during therapy and rarely with clinically apparent acute liver injury. Lovastatin oral tablet is a statin used to prevent and treat coronary heart disease, and to treat high cholesterol. It's available as a generic drug and as the brand-name drug Altoprev. The tablet. The effect of Lovastatin on lipids and lipoproteins and the safety profile of Lovastatin were similar to that demonstrated in studies in nondiabetics. Lovastatin had no clinically important effect on glycemic control or on the dose requirement of oral hypoglycemic agents.