Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. Atorvastatin binds to HMG-CoA reductase and inhibits the conversion of HMG-CoA into mevalonate, thereby reducing hepatic cholesterol synthesis. As intracellular cholesterol levels in hepatocytes decline, LDL receptor expression is upregulated, which enhances the uptake and clearance of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from the blood. As a result, plasma LDL-C, total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride levels usually decrease, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) may increase slightly.