Dr. Alireza Razavi
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory
Title: Atorvastatin therapy in COVID-19 adult inpatients: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial
Biography
Biography: Dr. Alireza Razavi
Abstract
Effectual medications are urgently demanded to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study seeks to assess the outcomes of atorvastatin in comparison with routine care for adult COVID-19 patients.
Methods
This is a double-blind randomized trial on adult COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Patients were enrolled into the group receiving atorvastatin + lopinavir/ritonavir or a control arm receiving lopinavir/ritonavir alone. The primary outcome was hospitalization duration. The secondary outcomes include the need for interferon or immunoglobulin, receipt of invasive mechanical ventilation, and O2 saturation (O2sat), and level of C-reactive protein (CRP) which were evaluated at the onset of admission and on the 6th day of the intervention.
Results
Forty patients were assigned to the study with a 1-to-1 ratio in atorvastatin + lopinavir/ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir arms. Clinical and demographic features were equivalent between the two groups. CRP level was extremely reduced in the lopinavir/ritonavir + atorvastatin arm (P < 0.0001, Cohen’s d = 0.865) so that there was a significant difference in CRP level on the 6th day between the two groups (P = 0.01). However, there was no significant discrepancy in O2sat on day 6. Albeit the duration of hospitalization in the lopinavir/ritonavir + atorvastatin arm was significantly decreased compared to the control arm (P = 0.012), there was no considerable discrepancy in the invasive mechanical ventilation receiving and the necessity for interferon and immunoglobulin.
Conclusion
Atorvastatin + lopinavir/ritonavir may be more influential than lopinavir/ritonavir in managing adult COVID-19 inpatients.