Description
Details
Uses
Atorvastatin belongs to a group of medicines called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and is used to lower high cholesterol. Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. It is a type of blood fat needed by the body for things such as building cell walls, making bile acids (which help to digest food) and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can be a problem.
Cholesterol is present in many foods and is also made in your body by the liver. If your body makes too much cholesterol or you take too much cholesterol in your diet, then your level becomes too high. A problem is more likely to occur with certain diseases or if you have a family history of high cholesterol. There are different types of cholesterol. LDL is the `bad` cholesterol that can block your blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is the `good` cholesterol that is thought to remove the bad cholesterol from the blood vessels.
When you have high levels of `bad` cholesterol in your blood, it may begin to `stick` to the inside of your blood vessels instead of being carried to the parts of the body where it is needed. Over time, this can form hard areas, also called plaque, on the walls of your blood vessels, making it more difficult for the blood to flow. This blocking of your blood vessels can lead to several types of blood vessel disease, heart attack, angina and stroke.
There is another type of blood fat called triglyceride which is a source of energy. However, high levels of triglyceride can be associated with a low level of `good` cholesterol and may increase your risk of heart disease.
In some patients, Atorvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides together. Atorvastatin does not reduce the cholesterol that comes from fat in food. Therefore, when you are taking Atorvastatin, you also need to follow a low fat diet and other measures, such as exercise and weight control. In most people, there are no symptoms of abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Your physician can measure your levels with a simple blood test.
Atorvastatin tablets should be swallowed whole, with a glass of water. Ask your doctor if you are unsure of the correct dosage. Patients are sometimes told to take this drug once per day. However, it is also possible that your doctor may start you out on a low dosage to begin with, which he or she may then increase, generally not more than once every 2 to 4 weeks.
