Weekly versus daily dosing of atorvastatin

Twenty-four consecutive patients of a single family physician who had achieved NCEP-II goal levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) on a daily atorvastatin dose of 10 mg for at least 6 months were invited to switch to 20 mg weekly. Mean LDL levels for the 22 patients who completed the trial had been reduced by 43% from baseline on 10 mg daily (P <.05) and were reduced by 22% from baseline on the seventh day following the last weekly dose of 20 mg (P <.05). Total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratios were reduced by 31% and 17%, respectively (both P <.05) and triglycerides by 20% and 10% (both P <.05).