Raw research findings for this medication. Mostly single studies, not curated or confirmed robust.
Pravastatin is a statin: it blocks HMG-CoA reductase, the liver enzyme that makes cholesterol, so the liver takes more LDL cholesterol out of the blood. It is a milder statin that is hardly broken down by liver enzymes, so it has fewer interactions with other medicines. It is used to lower cholesterol and to reduce the chance of heart attack and stroke. It is sold as Pravachol, among other names.
Because pravastatin is barely broken down by liver enzymes, its level depends mainly on SLCO1B1, the transporter that carries it into the liver. The common variant rs4149056 (in the *5 and *15 versions) weakens the transporter, so more pravastatin stays in the blood. CPIC has published a guideline on SLCO1B1 and pravastatin. Studies have also looked at genes linked to how much cholesterol falls, such as HMGCR, LDLR and KIF6, with weaker evidence.
Clinical guidelines that name a gene for Pravastatin. They sort people into groups by the gene copies they carry.
Every published finding on gene variants and Pravastatin. Upload your DNA file to see which of these rows apply to you.
PharmGKB weighs all studies of a variant and rates how strong the evidence is, from 1A (strongest) to 4.
SLCO1B1 rs4149056: Level 1A · replicated. Metabolism/PK. 13.
SLCO1B1 SLCO1B1*1, SLCO1B1*5, SLCO1B1*15: Level 1A · replicated. Metabolism/PK. 6.
SLCO1B1 rs4149056: Level 1A · replicated. Toxicity: statin-related myopathy. 3.
SLCO1B1 SLCO1B1*1, SLCO1B1*5, SLCO1B1*15: Level 1A · replicated. Toxicity: statin-related myopathy. 3.
Studies of how quickly the body processes this medication.
Studies of how well it worked in people carrying a variant.
Study findings and evidence levels: PharmGKB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Guidelines: CPIC and DPWG, as bundled in PharmCAT. Most studies were done mainly in people of European ancestry.
More drugs from the same category
Not a prescribing recommendation. This page is educational information about pharmacogenomic research and clinical guidelines - it is not medical or dosing advice, and not a prediction of how any medication will work for you. Never start, stop, or change a medication or dose based on it; talk to your doctor or pharmacist, who can order clinical-grade testing if appropriate.
Content updated September 2026.
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