Objective:Statins are still undemsed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China.Hence,we conducted a systemic review on the pharmacology,clinical efficacy,and adverse events of atorvastatin,as well as on patient adherence.Data Sources:We conducted a systemic search in PubMed with the following keywords:atorvastatin (Supplementary concept) or atorvastatin (All field) and (China [AD] or China [all field] or Chinese [All field]).Study Selection:Clinical or basic research articles on atorvastatin were included.Results:Atorvastatin is a reversible and competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase,decreasing the de novo cholesterol synthesis.The pharmacokinetics ofatorvastatin among Chinese is similar to those in Caucasians,and several gene polymorphisms have proved to be associated with the metabolism ofatorvastatin in the Chinese population.Several intational multiple-center randomized control trials have demonstrated the benefit ofatorvastatin for primary and secondary prevention of CVD.None of them,however,included the Chinese,and current evidence in the population is still inadequate,due to the small sample size,low study quality,short study duration,and the use of surrogate endpoints instead of clinical endpoints.The overall incidence of adverse events observed with atorvastatin did not increase in the 10-80 mg dose range,and was similar to that observed with placebo and in patients treated with other statins,which makes atorvastatin well-tolerated in the Chinese population.Moreover,high patient adherence was observed in clinical studies.Conclusions:Based on the current available evidence,there is no significant difference between Chinese and non-Chinese population in term of pharmacology and clinical efficacy/safety.High-quality evidence is still needed to support the use ofatorvastatin in high-risk Chinese population.