How does atorvastatin's mechanism reduce cholesterol?

Atorvastatin lowers cholesterol mainly by inhibiting HMG‑CoA reductase, a key enzyme in the liver’s cholesterol-synthesis pathway.

This causes:

1. Reduced cholesterol production in liver cells
2. The liver senses lower internal cholesterol and increases LDL receptor expression on its surface
3. More LDL particles are removed from the bloodstream and broken down
4. Blood LDL (“bad”) cholesterol falls substantially

Atorvastatin also typically lowers VLDL and triglycerides and may modestly raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. It primarily affects cholesterol made and processed by the liver rather than simply blocking absorption of cholesterol from food.