Uses Of Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin is a medicine that belongs to the pharmacological family of statins. They are widely used to stabilize low cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular disease and treat dyslipidemia. In this article, we will discuss the main uses of Atorvastatin.
Excess cholesterol is a risk factor for the occurrence of these types of diseases. They are the leading cause of death in developed countries. However, cholesterol is essential for the proper functioning of the body because it is the precursor of many hormones.
So, you need to keep your cholesterol level within normal limits: neither too high nor too low. Cholesterol deficiency can have serious health consequences. Therefore, it is important to strictly follow all treatment guidelines, as directed by your doctor.
Information on cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases are a set of pathologies that are the leading cause of death in developed countries. These include:
- Cardiovascular hypertension
- Heart failure
- Stroke or cerebrovascular disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Smoking: Leads to the accumulation of toxic chemicals that cause health problems. People who smoke are twice as likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease as their non-smoking counterparts.
- A sedentary lifestyle: It is a common habit, because the population of developed countries is gradually getting used to less physical activity. As with tobacco, lack of exercise doubles your chances of developing heart disease.
- Bad eating habits: They lead to high cholesterol.
Uses of Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin, like other statins, is effective in preventing cardiovascular disease due to its ability to selectively and competitively inhibit the enzyme responsible for cholesterol synthesis, especially hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA), which is responsible for converting HMG-CoA to mevalon. . It is the precursor of sterol compounds, such as cholesterol.
Therefore, Atorvastatin reduces the amounts of mevalonate by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and thus the amount of cholesterol that remains in the liver. In addition, this mechanism also affects the regulation of LDL receptors – known as “bad” cholesterol – and the absorption of these lipoproteins from the circulation.
Reducing bad cholesterol or LDL is the end result of these processes. However, the effectiveness of treatment is still being studied through experiments and clinical trials.
Side effects of Atorvastatin
- irritation
