Atorvastatin Calcium

Atorvastatin Calcium
CAS No. 134523-00-5
Drug Description

Atorvastatin Calcium is a member of the drug class known as statins, used for lowering blood cholesterol. The empirical formula of atorvastatin calcium is (C33H34FN2O5)2Ca•3H2O and its molecular weight is 1209.42. 

Atorvastatin calcium is a white to off-white crystalline powder that is insoluble in aqueous solutions of pH 4 and below. Atorvastatin calcium is very slightly soluble in distilled water, pH 7.4 phosphate buffer, and acetonitrile, slightly soluble in ethanol, and freely soluble in methanol.

Uses

Atorvastatin Calcium is a cholesterol-lowering drug. Your doctor may prescribe it along with a special diet if your blood cholesterol or triglyceride level is high and you have been unable to lower your readings by diet alone. 

The drug works by helping to clear harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of the blood and by limiting the body’s ability to form new LDL cholesterol.

Your doctor may prescribe Atorvastatin Calcium to reduce your chances of having a heart attack or developing heart disease if you have any of the following risk factors:

  • are age 55 years or older
  • smoke
  • have high blood pressure
  • have low levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein—the good cholesterol)
  • have a family history of early heart disease

For people at high risk of heart disease, the doctor may suggest a cholesterol-lowering medication if LDL readings are 130 or more. For those at low risk, a medication is considered at readings of 190 or more

Mechanism of Action

Atorvastatin is a selective, competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that converts 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A to mevalonate, a precursor of sterols, including cholesterol. Cholesterol and triglycerides circulate in the bloodstream as part of lipoprotein complexes. With ultracentrifugation, these complexes separate into HDL (high-density lipoprotein), IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein) fractions. Triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol in the liver are incorporated into VLDL and released into the plasma for delivery to peripheral tissues. LDL is formed from VLDL and is catabolized primarily through the high-affinity LDL receptor. Clinical and pathologic studies show that elevated plasma levels of total cholesterol (total-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein B (apo B) promote human atherosclerosis and are risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, while increased levels of HDL-C are associated with a decreased cardiovascular risk.