Lipostat Dosage/Direction for Use

Before instituting therapy with Atorvastatin, an attempt should be made to control hypercholesterolemia with appropriate diet, exercise and weight reduction in obese patients, and to treat the underlying medical problems. The patient should continue on a cholesterol-lowering diet during treatment with Atorvastatin. The dosage range is 10-80 mg once daily. Dose may be given any time of the day, with or without food. Starting and maintenance dosage should be individualized according to baseline LDL-C levels, the goal of therapy, and patient response. After initiation and/or upon titration of Atorvastatin, lipid levels should be analyzed within 2-4 weeks, and dosage adjusted accordingly.
Primary hypercholesterolemia and Combined (mixed) hyperlipidemia: The majority of patients are controlled with 10 mg Atorvastatin once daily. A therapeutic response is evident within 2 weeks, and the maximum response is usually achieved within 4 weeks. The response is maintained during chronic therapy.
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: Usual dosage: 10-80 mg/day.
In a compassionate-use study, most patients responded to 80 mg Atorvastatin with a greater than 15% reduction in LDL-C (18%-45%).
Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia in pediatric patients (10-17 years of age): The recommended starting dose: 10 mg/day.
The maximum recommended dose: 20 mg/day.
Dose should be individualized according to the recommended goal of therapy.
Adjustments should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more.
Use in patients with hepatic insufficiency: Atorvastatin is contraindicated in patients who have active liver disease or unexplained persistent elevations of serum transaminases exceeding three times the upper normal limit (ULN).
Use in patients with renal insufficiency: No dosage adjustment necessary.
Use in the elderly: No different in safety, efficacy or lipid treatment goal attainment were observed between elderly patients and the overall population.
Use in combination with other medicinal compounds: In case where co-administration of Atorvastatin with cyclosporine, telaprevir, or the combination tipranavir/ritonavir is necessary, the dose of Atorvastatin should not exceed 10 mg.