Atorvastatin calcium is a medication used to treat high cholesterol. Marketed under the brand name Lipitor, atorvastatin calcium ("atorvastatin") blocks an enzyme that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. Atorvastatin is also used to treat high triglycerides and to help prevent heart disease. Potential side effects of atorvastatin may include headache, muscle main, and diarrhea.
Atorvastatin is part of a class of drugs called statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors).
Atorvastatin works by blocking a particular enzyme -- HMG-CoA reductase -- that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol. Atorvastatin also:
Increases the liver's ability to collect and get rid of LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol")