Atorvastatin is used together with diet to lower blood levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), to increase levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and to lower triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood).
Usage
Atorvastatin is usually taken once a day, with or without food . It's best to take it at about the same time each day.
Side effects
Because overdoses with other statin medications do not seem to cause significant or long-lasting problems, an overdose is not predicted to cause severe effects
Pharmacology
Mechanism of action
Inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis (reduces the production of mevalonic acid from HMG-CoA); this then results in a compensatory increase in the expression of LDL receptors on hepatocyte membranes and a stimulation of LDL catabolism.
Half-Life Elimination
Parent drug: ~14 hours; Equipotent metabolites: 20 to 30 hours