For most people, a high-fat diet and inherited risk factors may be the main cause of high cholesterol. The genes influences how high the LDL (bad) cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood. One specific form of inherited high cholesterol that affects 1 in 500 people is called familial hypercholesterolemia, which often leads to early heart disease.

High cholesterol is usually discovered on routine screening and has no symptoms. It is more common if one has a family history of it, but lifestyle factors (such as eating a diet high in saturated fat) clearly plays' a major role.

If you're having a hard time lowering your with diet and exercise alone, or are concerned about heart disease, talk to your doctor about Lipitor.

Lipitor was introduced in 1997 and since then, it's been prescribed to more than 18 million people in the United States.

The generic name is Atorvastatin and the brand name is Lipitor.

Lipitor lowers LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or cholesterol by blocking an enzyme in the liver that the body uses to make cholesterol. When less cholesterol is produced, the liver uses up more of it from the bloodstream. This results in lower levels of cholesterol in the blood. Lipitor lowers LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood by 39 to 60% (depending on the dose). "Bad" cholesterol generally builds up in the arteries and thus slow or clog the flow of blood and increasing the risk of a heart disease.

Lipitor also increases the level of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or "good" cholesterol in the blood which also helps get rid of the "bad" cholesterol.

is generally well tolerated and can be taken with many other medicines. Like all medicines, Lipitor may cause side effects in some people. If you are prescribed Lipitor, be sure to alert your doctor as soon as possible if you have any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness. The side effects reported most often are gas, stomach pain, indigestion and constipation. These side effects are usually mild and tend to go away.

One should not take any or inform the doctor if one has an active liver disease or possible liver problems, pregnant or could possibly become pregnant or are breast-feeding, allergic to any of the ingredients in these drugs, or, taking a medication that might interact with them.

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Atorvastatin. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. One must ensure that one eats low fat, low cholesterol diet. One should not stop taking Atorvastatin without the doctor's advice as Atorvastatin may be needed to be taken for a long term treatment.