Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin, sold under the brand name Lipitor among others, is a <a href="/facts/Statin/ba4mes9W">statin</a> medication used to prevent <a href="/facts/Cardiovascular_disease/HD420nMv">cardiovascular disease</a> in those at high risk and to treat <a href="/facts/Dyslipidemia/ty4sC76X">abnormal lipid levels</a>. For the prevention of cardiovascular disease, statins are a first-line treatment in reducing cholesterol. It is taken <a href="/facts/By_mouth/vNQcvLVx">by mouth</a>.
Common side effects may include diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, muscle pain (typically mild and dose-dependent) and, less frequently, joint pain. Muscle symptoms often occur during the first year and are commonly influenced by pre-existing health issues and the <a href="/facts/Nocebo/v4ebJvpz">nocebo</a> effect. Most patients can continue therapy with dose adjustment or statin switching. Rare (<0.1%) but serious side effects may include rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle disorder), liver problems and diabetes. Use during <a href="/facts/Pregnancy/vEKYGpep">pregnancy</a> may harm the <a href="/facts/Fetus/evocHd0Y">fetus</a>. Like all statins, atorvastatin works by inhibiting <a href="/facts/HMG-CoA_reductase/F6xSdUIt">HMG-CoA reductase</a>, an <a href="/facts/Enzyme/DSI1Fh7y">enzyme</a> found in the <a href="/facts/Liver/Rtp4Fk2b">liver</a> that plays a role in producing <a href="/facts/Cholesterol/TnfPlYc1">cholesterol</a>.
Atorvastatin was patented in 1986, and approved for medical use in the United States in 1996. It is on the <a href="/facts/WHO_Model_List_of_Essential_Medicines/6kmu81Xm">World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines</a>. It is available as a <a href="/facts/Generic_medication/IF6AXDVX">generic medication</a>. In 2022, it was the most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 109 million prescriptions filled for over 27 million people. In Australia, it was one of the top ten most prescribed medications between 2017 and 2023.

Atorvastatin open-in-new

Atorvastatin