Salaci asked
Why do the directions on my Lipitor bottle say to take late in the evening?
Answer
It is a common misconception that Lipitor (Atorvastatin) needs to be taken in the evening or at bedtime. While this is true of some medications in the "statin" class, this is not the case for Lipitor (Atorvastatin). It may be taken anytime during the day, as long as you take it at the same time consistently.
Cholesterol is an extremely important component of all our cells and is also a precursor to a variety of hormones. While we do get cholesterol from our diet, much of it is actually produced by our own bodies. There have been numerous studies showing that the peak of cholesterol production occurs while we are sleeping. Below, we have posted a graph showing the peaks and troughs of cholesterol production at various times throughout the day. While the graph is somewhat noisy, we can clearly see cholesterol production peaks late evening/early morning.
