After 18 weeks, patients given simvastatin had significantly lower total cholesterol, lower LDL, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL cholesterol levels than those who took pravastatin. The
study found that the patients on
simvastatin achieved the target LDL level of less than 130, more than those on pravastatin (65 percent on simvastatin versus 35 percent on pravastatin). The most common side effects of the statins in general are nausea, gas, and upset stomach.