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Supplement × Prescription·Evidence index

Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice: what the research found

PubMed indexes 8 records that name Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. The key findings come first, in the authors’ own words, followed by every study with its design and PubMed link.

A summary of published research, not medical advice. A pharmacist can check any combination against your full list of medicines and supplements.

Reviews & meta-analyses

Key findings ↓ How we select sources

Key findings

What the studies concluded.

Reviews and human studies first. Each quote is the authors’ own conclusion about their study, not a NutriStack assessment, and a single study is not a consensus.

“In addition, shorter and less variable Tmax values were observed in volunteers taking LipoCol Forte than in those taking lovastatin tablets. These findings suggest that the oral bioavailability of lovastatin is significantly improved in RYR products as a result of a higher dissolution rate and reduced crystallinity.”
Chen et al. · 2013 · Human study · details

“The results suggested that the effect of CRYR on the cholesterol concentration might be caused by the additive and/or synergistic effects of monacolin K with other monacolins and substances in CRYR. It may lead to the ultimate development of a botanical supplement based on CRYR.”
Li et al. · 2005 · Human study · details

“We raised the possibility that people who used RYR prescriptions may have a lower risk of incident diabetes compared with the lovastatin cohort.”
Chen et al. · 2020 · Study · details

The research

8 studies naming Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice.

Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.

Red Yeast Rice or Lovastatin? A Comparative Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy Through a Multifaceted Approach.

Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2025 · PMID 39511729

Comparative StudyHuman subjects

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Improved dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of lovastatin in red yeast rice products.

International journal of pharmaceutics · 2013 · PMID 23352857

Randomized Controlled Trial

“In addition, shorter and less variable Tmax values were observed in volunteers taking LipoCol Forte than in those taking lovastatin tablets. These findings suggest that the oral bioavailability of lovastatin is significantly improved in RYR products as a result of a higher dissolution rate and reduced crystallinity.”
Chen et al. · From the abstract

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Chinese red yeast rice versus lovastatin effects on prostate cancer cells with and without androgen receptor overexpression.

Journal of medicinal food · 2008 · PMID 19053857

Comparative StudyResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Human subjects

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Plasma clearance of lovastatin versus chinese red yeast rice in healthy volunteers.

Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2005 · PMID 16398595

Clinical TrialRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, N.I.H., Extramural

“The results suggested that the effect of CRYR on the cholesterol concentration might be caused by the additive and/or synergistic effects of monacolin K with other monacolins and substances in CRYR. It may lead to the ultimate development of a botanical supplement based on CRYR.”
Li et al. · Authors' conclusion

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Evaluating Risk of Incident Diabetes Between Patients Who Used Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice Prescriptions (LipoCol Forte): A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on a Real-World Database.

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2020 · PMID 32021355

“We raised the possibility that people who used RYR prescriptions may have a lower risk of incident diabetes compared with the lovastatin cohort.”
Chen et al. · Authors' conclusion

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Lovastatin in lactone and hydroxy acid forms and citrinin in red yeast rice powders analyzed by HPTLC-UV/FLD.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2019 · PMID 31410535

Validation Study

“By these figures of merit, the HPTLC method was proven to be suited for the control of such matrix-rich, fermented food. Graphical abstract.”
Klingelhöfer et al. · From the abstract

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Fully automated method based on on-line molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction for determination of lovastatin in dietary supplements containing red yeast rice.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2019 · PMID 30617392

Validation Study

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Isoflavones enhance pharmacokinetic exposure of active lovastatin acid via the upregulation of carboxylesterase in high-fat diet mice after oral administration of Xuezhikang capsules.

Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2018 · PMID 29921884

Human subjects

Names both Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice in its title.

Limitations

What this evidence cannot tell you.

Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:

Selection. These records were found by searching PubMed titles and abstracts for both substance names alongside interaction and pharmacokinetic terms. Relevant work that phrases things differently, or is not indexed in PubMed, will be missing.
No effect size. The quoted conclusions are the authors’ words about their own study. We have not extracted effect direction or magnitude, and a single study’s conclusion is not a consensus.
Population mismatch. Findings in healthy volunteers, animals, or a specific patient group may not transfer to you, your dose, or your formulation.
Absence is not safety. Few published studies means the combination is under-studied, which is not the same as established as safe.

How to read this page

A literature summary, not guidance.

A study listed here is not proof that Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice interact. Two substances can be named together in a paper that never tested them in combination, and a source listed as background may cover only one of them.
Findings are quoted from each abstract as the authors wrote them. NutriStack has not re-analysed, pooled, or reconciled them, and they may disagree with each other.
Decisions about prescription medication and supplements belong with your prescriber or pharmacist, who can see your full regimen. Our timing guide and forms guide explain the general mechanisms.

NutriStack

Track what you actually take.

NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Lovastatin, Red Yeast Rice, and several hundred other substances.

Log your routine, get reminders at the times you choose, and scan a label to add a product. The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid.

Get NutriStack free → How sources are selected

NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.