Comparative Efficacy of Atorvastatin and Placebo in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Statins, recognized for their lipid-lowering properties, are being studied in clinical studies for potential benefits in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of a moderate dose of atorvastatin in influencing the clinical response among c...

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Main Authors: Fatemeh Taghavi, Saeed Abbasi, Malihe Nejati, Shadi Farsaei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-10-01
Series:Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_10_25
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Summary:Objective: Statins, recognized for their lipid-lowering properties, are being studied in clinical studies for potential benefits in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of a moderate dose of atorvastatin in influencing the clinical response among critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods: This investigation involved adult individuals diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and experiencing critical illness. Patients meeting the eligibility criteria and receiving atorvastatin were allocated to continue treatment at a daily dosage of 20 mg (PHA). In contrast, the remaining eligible patients were randomly assigned to the atorvastatin intervention (AIN: administration of 20 mg atorvastatin daily) and control groups. Patients followed up for 14 days for the primary endpoints of the COVID-19 severity and APACHE II scores. The secondary endpoints and different biochemical parameters were also assessed. Findings: Finally, 116 people completed the study. The studied groups had no significant differences regarding the demographic and basic clinical data. C-reactive protein on the 7th and 14th days in the AIN and PHA groups was significantly lower than in the control group (P = 0.008 and P = 0.018). IL6 on the 7th day (P = 0.04) showed a significant decrease in AIN compared to PHA and control groups. However, no significant differences in APACHE-II score and disease severity were detected between the groups. Conclusion: Atorvastatin could effectively reduce inflammation in intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted for COVID-19 management, but it could not influence the clinical outcomes. We suggested investigating its effect on COVID-19 in larger sample sizes, nonICU patients, and from the beginning of the diagnosis for a longer duration.
ISSN:2319-9644
2279-042X