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A plain-language summary of the cited sources below. Informational only — not medical advice.
Atorvastatin works by blocking an enzyme the body uses to make cholesterol. It's prescribed to lower high cholesterol levels in people who haven't been able to bring those levels down through diet alone. It may also be used in people with high blood pressure and other risk factors — such as diabetes, a history of stroke, or existing heart disease — to reduce the chance of heart attack or stroke.
The medication stays active in the body for around 20 to 30 hours because of substances it breaks down into that also help lower cholesterol. It's processed mainly by a liver enzyme called CYP 3A4, which means some other medications can affect how much atorvastatin builds up in the bloodstream.
Common side effects include indigestion, nausea, wind, diarrhoea, and cold-like symptoms in the nose and throat. Serious but uncommon side effects include severe muscle breakdown (which can be fatal), liver failure, a rare condition where the immune system attacks muscle tissue, severe skin reactions, and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis.
Atorvastatin must not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or by women who could become pregnant unless they're using reliable contraception. It's also not suitable for people with active liver disease, unexplained raised liver enzymes, hypersensitivity to the medication, or anyone taking certain other medicines including fusidic acid or the hepatitis C combination glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.
“Atorvastatin is an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that converts HMG-Co-A to mevalonate, a precursor of sterols, including cholesterol.”
“Mean plasma elimination half-life of atorvastatin in humans is approximately 14 hours, but the half-life of inhibitory activity for HMG-CoA reductase is 20 to 30 hours due to the contribution of active metabolites.”
A plain-language summary of the cited sources below. Informational only — not medical advice.
Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor that blocks the rate-limiting enzyme converting HMG-CoA to mevalonate, a cholesterol precursor. TGA-approved indications include adjunct-to-diet treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and, in hypertensive patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, prior stroke or other cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, or asymptomatic coronary heart disease), reduction of non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke risk. Contraindications include hypersensitivity, active liver disease or unexplained persistent transaminase elevation, pregnancy and lactation, women of childbearing potential not using effective contraception, concomitant fusidic acid, and concomitant glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.
Mean plasma elimination half-life is approximately 14 hours, though inhibitory activity for HMG-CoA reductase persists 20 to 30 hours owing to active metabolites. Atorvastatin is metabolised by CYP3A4; plasma concentrations increase when co-administered with CYP3A4 inhibitors such as erythromycin. Common adverse effects include dyspepsia, nausea, flatulence, diarrhoea, and nasopharyngitis. Serious adverse effects include rhabdomyolysis (potentially fatal), hepatic failure, immune-mediated necrotising myopathy, bullous rashes (erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis), and hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis.
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Curated subset. The full adverse-effect list is in the TGA Product Information; click any citation above to open it.
“In vitro studies suggest the importance of atorvastatin metabolism by CYP 3A4, consistent with increased plasma concentrations of atorvastatin in humans following co-administration with erythromycin, a known inhibitor of this isozyme (see section 4.4, Special warnings and precautions for use).”