Lipitor (atorvastatin) is used to treat high cholesterol and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems. Learn about side effects, generic, dosage, uses, and more. Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol. Learn about side effects, interactions and indications. Rosuvastatin (Crestor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) are both statins that lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people at increased cardiovascular risk. Overview: Atorvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol levels and to lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. It works by decreasing the amount of cholesterol made by your. It lowers the LDL-C ( bad cholesterol) and triglycerides in your blood. It can raise your HDL-C ( good cholesterol) as well. Lipitor is for adults and children over 10 whose cholesterol does not come down enough with exercise and a low-fat diet alone. Statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin, rosuvastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor). The body needs cholesterol. But having too much cholesterol in the blood raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Lipitor is a prescription medicine used to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications. Learn about dosage, side effects, drug interactions, warnings, and more. LIPITOR is a prescription medicine that contains a cholesterol lowering medicine (statin) called atorvastatin. LIPITOR is used: heart attack, stroke, certain types of heart surgery and chest pain in adults who do not have heart disease but have other multiple risk factors for heart disease. Atorvastatin, sold under the brand name Lipitor among others, is a statin medication used to prevent cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and to treat abnormal lipid levels. [7] Atorvastatin is used together with a proper diet to lower cholesterol and triglyceride (fats) levels in the blood. This medicine may help prevent medical problems (eg, chest pain, heart attack, or stroke) that are caused by fats clogging the blood vessels.