Atorvastatin

What it is used for

Atorvastatin calcium tablets are indicated:

• To reduce the risk of:
  • Myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, revascularization procedures, and angina in adults with multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) but without clinically evident CHD
  • MI and stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with multiple risk factors for CHD but without clinically evident CHD
  • Non-fatal MI, fatal and non-fatal stroke, revascularization procedures, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, and angina in adults with clinically evident CHD
• As an adjunct to diet to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in:
  • Adults with primary hyperlipidemia.
  • Adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).
• As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies, or alone if such treatments are unavailable, to reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).
• As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with:
  • Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia
  • Hypertriglyceridemia

Side effects, and when to stop

The following important adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling:

• Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis
• Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy
• Hepatic Dysfunction
• Increases in HbA1c and Fasting Serum Glucose Levels

Who should not take it

• Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis
• Hypersensitivity to atorvastatin or any excipients in atorvastatin calcium tablets. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, angioneurotic edema, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis, have been reported.