Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin, sold under the brand name Lipitor among others, is a statin medication used to prevent cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and to treat abnormal lipid levels.^[6] For the prevention of cardiovascular disease, statins are a first-line treatment in reducing cholesterol.^[6] It is taken by mouth.^[6]

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 nocebo effect.^[7][8] 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.^[9] Use during pregnancy may harm the fetus.^[6] Like all statins, atorvastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme found in the liver that plays a role in producing cholesterol.^[6]

Atorvastatin was patented in 1986, and approved for medical use in the United States in 1996.^[6][10] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.^[11] It is available as a generic medication.^[6][12] 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.^[13][14] In Australia, it was one of the top ten most prescribed medications between 2017 and 2023.^[15]