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The name of your medicine is APO-Atorvastatin. It contains the active ingredient atorvastatin.
Atorvastatin lowers high cholesterol levels.
It is also used in people who have high blood pressure and coronary heart disease
(CHD) or who are at risk of CHD (for example, if they have diabetes, a history of
stroke, or small blood vessel disease). In these people, this medicine is used to
reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
What is Cholesterol?
Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. It is a type of fat needed by the body for
many things, such as building cell walls, making bile acids (which help to digest
food) and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can be a problem.
Cholesterol is present in many foods and is also made in your body by the liver. If
your body makes too much cholesterol or you take too much cholesterol in your diet,
then your level becomes too high.
High cholesterol is more likely to occur with certain diseases or if you have a family
history of high cholesterol.
There are different types of cholesterol. LDL is the 'bad' cholesterol that can block
your blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is the 'good' cholesterol that is thought to remove
the bad cholesterol from the blood vessels.
When you have high levels of 'bad' cholesterol in your blood, it may begin to 'stick'
to the inside of your blood vessels instead of being carried to the parts of the body
where it is needed. Over time, this can form hard areas, also called plaque, on the
walls of your blood vessels, making it more difficult for the blood to flow.
This blocking of your blood vessels can lead to several types of blood vessel disease,
heart attack, angina and stroke.
There is another type of fat called triglyceride, which is a source of energy. However,
high levels of triglyceride can be associated with a low level of 'good' cholesterol
and may increase your risk of heart disease.
In some patients, APO-Atorvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides
together.
How it works
APO-Atorvastatin belongs to a group of medicines called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.
It works by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. This medicine reduces
the 'bad' cholesterol and raises the 'good' cholesterol. It also helps to protect
you from a heart attack or stroke.
When you are taking APO-Atorvastatin, you also need to follow a low fat diet and other
measures, such as exercise and weight control.
In most people, there are no symptoms of abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
Your doctor can measure your levels with a simple blood test.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed
for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
This medicine is/is not addictive.
This medicine/It is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
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