Recent studies have shown that high doses of powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as atorvastatin 20 mg or higher, have the potential to damage the kidneys. One study found a 34% higher risk of being hospitalized for acute kidney injury in patients taking powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs compared to patients taking lower-potency cholesterol drugs. It is worth noting that the risk to individual patients is still very low, although the total number of affected patients could still be quite high. This is simply because millions of people take drugs like these worldwide.