title: Atorvastatin: a safety and tolerability profile.
abstract: Extensive data are available on the safety of atorvastatin from randomised clinical trials, postmarketing analyses and reports to regulatory agencies. Atorvastatin is generally well tolerated across the range of therapeutic dosages, with the exception of a slightly higher rate of liver enzyme elevations with atorvastatin 80 mg/day which does not appear to confer an increased risk of clinically important adverse events. Unlike simvastatin, atorvastatin is associated with a low incidence of muscular toxicity. It is not associated with neurological, cognitive or renal adverse effects and does not require dosage adjustment in patients with renal dysfunction, due to its favourable pharmacokinetic profile, which is unique among the statins. In patients aged > or =65 years, atorvastatin is well tolerated with no dose-dependent increase in adverse events up to the maximum daily dosage of 80 mg/day. Thus, atorvastatin is a safe and well tolerated statin for use in a wide range of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Therapeutic Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. marcelloarca@libero.it
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arca
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase