Brand name: Atorvastatin (AS) TM
Active ingredients: atorvastatin
What it is used for
As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of patients with hypercholesterolaemia. Prior to initiating therapy with atorvastatin, secondary causes of hypercholesterolaemia (e.g. poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, dysproteinaemias, obstructive liver disease, other drug therapy and alcoholism) should be identified and treated.,Indicated in hypertensive patients with multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), which may include diabetes, history of stroke or other cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease or existing asymptomatic CHD (see CLINICAL TRIALS, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease) to reduce the risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke. These effects do not replace the need to independently control known causes of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity such as hypertension, diabetes and smoking.
How to take it
You should seek medical advice in relation to medicines and use only as directed by a healthcare professional.
- The way to take this medicine: Oral
- Store below 25 degrees Celsius
- Protect from Moisture
- Protect from Light
- Lifetime is 24 Months.
Always read the label. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional.
Visual appearance
White, oval bi-convex tablets with breakline on one side
Do I need a prescription?
This medicine is available from a pharmacist and requires a prescription. It is
Pregnant or planning a pregnancy?
For the active ingredient atorvastatin
You should seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist about taking this medicine. They can help you balance the risks and the benefits of this medicine during pregnancy.
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Top results
Atorvastatin Pfizer (atorvastatin calcium) information | myVMC
Atorvastatin Pfizer is used to lower high cholesterol level. Also used to help reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Atorvastatin SZ Tablets - myDr.com.au
Atorvastatin SZ Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Atorvastatin GH Tablets - myDr.com.au
Atorvastatin GH Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Atorvastatin Sandoz Tablets - myDr.com.au
Atorvastatin Sandoz Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Atorvastatin Pfizer Tablets - myDr.com.au
Atorvastatin Pfizer Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Chemmart Atorvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
Chemmart Atorvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Blooms the Chemist Atorvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
Blooms the Chemist Atorvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Terry White Chemists Atorvastatin Tablets - myDr.com.au
Terry White Chemists Atorvastatin Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
APO-Amlodipine/Atorvastatin 5/10 Tablets - myDr.com.au
APO-Amlodipine/Atorvastatin 5/10 Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Blooms the Chemist Amlodipine/Atorvastatin 5/10 Tablets - myDr.com.au
Blooms the Chemist Amlodipine/Atorvastatin 5/10 Tablets - Consumer Medicines Information leaflets of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
Read more on myDr – Consumer Medicine Information website
Top results
Effect of atorvastatin on cholesterol | Cochrane
This represents the first update of this review, which was published in 2012 (Adams 2012). Atorvastatin is one of the most widely prescribed drugs and the most widely prescribed statin in the world. It is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor that is prescribed to prevent adverse cardiovascular events and to lower blood total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. It is therefore important to know the magnitude of the effect that atorvastatin has on cholesterol. We searched for all evidence obtained from three- to 12-week trials reporting the effect of atorvastatin on blood cholesterol. This update found 42 additional trials and reports on 296 trials in 38,817 participants. Atorvastatin showed a consistent effect in lowering blood cholesterol over the dose range of 2.5 to 80 mg daily. The effect was greater with higher doses than with lower doses. Atorvastatin works similarly to rosuvastatin in lowering cholesterol but is about three-fold less potent. Risk of bias for all assessed trials was high. Review authors were unable to assess harms of atorvastatin because the included trials were too short, and because only 34 included trials assessed harms.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
The effect of atorvastatin on blood lipids | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Statins for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Cochrane
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with no or very little alcohol consumption is characterised by hepatic histological changes similar to those associated with alcohol-induced liver injury. A range of histological changes can be seen. Some patients have fat accumulation in hepatocytes without significant inflammation or fibrosis (simple hepatic steatosis or NAFLD), but others have hepatic steatosis with prominent necro-inflammatory changes with or without associated fibrosis (this is NASH). Although NAFLD and NASH are common conditions, no effective medical treatment is available to correct the abnormal liver enzymes and adverse outcomes associated with them. This systematic review identified two randomised clinical trials with very small numbers of participants. One of the trials was a pilot trial and compared simvastatin with placebo, and the other trial assessed atorvastatin versus fenofibrate versus a combination of the two. The small pilot trial (n = 16 patients) assessing simvastatin versus placebo in NASH patients did not show significant effects on liver enzyme activities or liver histology. No adverse events were reported. The other trial compared atorvastatin versus fenofibrate versus a group receiving both interventions in 186 patients with NAFLD. There were no statistically significant differences between any of the three intervention groups regarding the 54 week mean activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, or alkaline phosphatases (liver enzymes) in the blood. The triglyceride levels seemed higher in the fenofibrate group compared with the atorvastatin group. Liver histology was not assessed in this trial. The presence of biochemical and ultrasonographic evidence of NAFLD seemed higher in the fenofibrate group compared with the other two intervention groups. Three patients discontinued treatment due to myalgia and elevated serum creatine kinase activity, one from the atorvastatin group and two from the combination group. Another patient from the atorvastatin group discontinued treatment due to raised alanine aminotransferase activity, over three times the upper normal limit. Both trials were at high risk of bias (that is, overestimation of benefits and underestimation of harms). Furthermore, the groups were small raising the risks of random errors (that is, play of chance). Accordingly, we did not find evidence to support or refute the use of statins for patients with NAFLD or NASH. Further unbiased trials with larger numbers of patients looking explicitly at patient-related outcomes of interest (for example, quality of life, development of cirrhosis, and mortality) are needed to assess the effects of statins on NAFLD or NASH.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Lipid lowering in renal disease | Issue 4 | Volume 40 | Australian Prescriber | Australian Prescriber
Statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease who do not require...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
The use of Statins, cholesterol lowering agents, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) | Cochrane
MS is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system and it is thought to be related to abnormal working of the immune system. Preliminary studies have shown thatstatins, cholesterol lowering agents, have potential immunological regulation effects which may be beneficial for MS. Furthermore, statins are usually orally administered, are less expensive than other MS treatment, and are easily available.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Trimethoprim-induced critical hyperkalaemia | Issue 4 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
An 88-year-old woman presented for investigation of generalised weakness, collapse, bradycardia and delirium. She had a history of recurrent urinary tract...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
New antiplatelet drugs for acute coronary syndrome | Issue 6 | Volume 37 | Australian Prescriber
Ticagrelor and prasugrel are antiplatelet drugs that are alternatives to clopidogrel in acute coronary syndrome. Their advantages include reduced rates of...
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
The management of gout | Issue 4 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis that is increasing in prevalence. It is caused by the deposition of urate crystals.
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
