Atorvastatin
ASCVD risk reduction, Hyperlipidemia, Post-ACS, Stroke prevention
Indications
- ASCVD risk reduction
- Hyperlipidemia
- Post-ACS
- Stroke prevention
Adult dosing
- moderate intensity: dose: 10; unit: mg; route: PO daily; interval: 10-20mg (moderate intensity); fixed: true; high intensity: dose: 40; unit: mg; route: PO daily; interval: 40-80mg (high intensity); fixed: true
Contraindications
- Active liver disease or unexplained persistent LFT elevation
- Pregnancy/lactation
Clinical pearls
- High-intensity (40-80mg) for established ASCVD, post-ACS, LDL ≥190
- Can be taken at any time of day (long half-life) unlike simvastatin
- Myalgias occur in ~5% — check CK if symptomatic; true rhabdomyolysis is extremely rare
- New-onset diabetes risk increases ~10% — but CV benefit far outweighs this risk
Source and review
- 2018 ACC/AHA Cholesterol Guidelines; TNT Trial, NEJM 2005. Last reviewed: 2024-11-01