Objective To explore the effects of preoperative rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on postoperative renal function in elderly patients undergoing coronary angiography. Methods From Jan. 2018 to Jun. 2018, 345 patients undergoing coronary angiography in Department of Cardiovasology of Changhai Hospital of Navy Medical University (Second Military Medical University) were divided into rosuvastatin group (n=171) and atorvastatin group (n=174). The patients in the two groups were further divided into <70 years subgroup and ≥ 70 years subgroup. All patients continued to take the original routine medications and routine dose of statins before bedtime. The serum creatinine levels were measured before and within 72 hours after coronary angiography. The incidence of contrast-induced nephrology was analyzed in each group. Results The postoperative serum creatinine level of the patients in the rosuvastatin group was (99.2±28.9) μmol/L, which was higher than that before operation ([92.2±29.5] μmol/L); and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.734, P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the serum creatinine levels before and after operation in the patients of the atorvastatin group (P>0.05). The postoperative serum creatinine level was significantly higher than that before operation in the rosuvastatin group, regardless of the age of <70 or ≥ 70 years ([88.0±15.6] μmol/L vs[82.3±13.5] μmol/L, t=3.858, P<0.01;[104.8±32.2] μmol/L vs[97.2±33.7] μmol/L, t=3.657, P<0.01). The postoperative serum creatinine level was significantly higher than preoperative one in the patients aged <70 years in the atorvastatin group ([128.3±44.4] μmol/L vs[122.4±43.4] μmol/L, t=2.854, P=0.006), but the postoperative and preoperative serum creatinine levels were not significantly different in the patients aged ≥ 70 years (P>0.05). The incidence of contrast-induced nephrology was significantly higher in the rosuvastatin group than that in the atorvastatin group (21.1%[36/171] vs 6.9%[12/174], χ²=14.430, P<0.01). And the incidence of contrast-induced nephrology in the patients aged ≥ 70 years was significantly higher than that in the patients aged <70 years of the rosuvastatin group (28.9%[33/114] vs 5.3%[3/57], χ²=12.825, P<0.01). Conversely, there was no significant difference in the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy between the patients aged ≥ 70 years and <70 years in the atorvastatin group (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with rosuvastatin, atorvastatin has a more potent effect on protecting renal function and reducing the incidence of contrast-induced nephrology in elderly patients after coronary angiography, and this advantage is more obvious in the patients aged ≥ 70 years.