Lipitor Uses

High cholesterol and high triglycerides are commonly treated with Lipitor. Uses also include preventing cardiovascular disease in people with multiple risk factors. At this time, there are no known "off-label" uses. The medication has been approved for treating high cholesterol in children from 10 to 17 years of age.

Lipitor Drug Information

What Is Lipitor Used For?

Lipitor^® (atorvastatin calcium) is a medication that has been licensed to treat several conditions. These Lipitor uses include:

Treatment of high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
Treatment of high triglycerides
Prevention of heart or blood vessel disease (known as cardiovascular disease) in people at risk for such problems
Reducing the risk of complications in people who already have heart disease.

High Cholesterol or Triglycerides Treatment

Healthcare providers often use Lipitor to treat high cholesterol in people who cannot lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes alone. Lipitor can lower total cholesterol and LDL ("bad cholesterol") and increase HDL ("good cholesterol"). It can also lower triglyceride levels in the blood.

Prevention of Heart and Blood Vessel Disease

Healthcare providers also prescribe Lipitor to reduce the chances of people with multiple heart disease risk factors developing coronary heart disease. The medication has been shown to decrease the chances of:

Heart attack
Stroke
Angina (chest pain)
Needing a heart procedure, such as angioplasty or open heart surgery.

Healthcare providers may recommend Lipitor for people with type 2 diabetes and other risk factors for heart disease.

In people who already have heart disease, the medication is approved to reduce the risk of the following problems:

A nonfatal heart attack
Stroke
Angina
Needing a heart procedure, such as angioplasty or open heart surgery
Hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF).

Lipitor Uses Article Continues on Next Page >