The Effect of Low-Dose Atorvastatin on Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Each year near 1.5 million Americans experience a TBI. Of which about 235,000 are hospitalized. Also, TBI claims 50 000 American lives each year. TBI causes mechanical damage to the blood-brain barrier and white blood cells (WBCs) entry to the brain.

The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose Atorvastatin on inflammatory factors in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

This double-blind, randomized clinical trial study was conducted in the ICU ward of Golestan Hospital in the city of Ahvaz (Iran) from April 2019-May 2020. Sixty patients with moderate to severe TBI were studied. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups of Atorvastatin and control. The main outcomes included the amount of CRP and ESR as well as white blood cells in the first 14 days of hospitalization. Glasgow Coma Score, the length of ICU stay, and the duration of mechanical ventilation were secondary outcomes.

The amount of CRP in the Atorvastatin group on the 14th day of hospitalization was significantly lower than those in the control group (31.99 ± 8.38 vs 59.65 ± 10.43) (P < 0.0001). On the same day, the Atorvastatin group had lower levels of ESR than the control group (14.28 ± 4.18 vs 25.57 ± 5.18) (P < 0.0001). The Atorvastatin group had significantly lower levels of white blood cells than the control group (5247.53 ± 751.93 vs 7143.94 ± 907.64, P < 0.0001). Glasgow Coma Score at the time of discharge from the ICU in the Atorvastatin group was more than control (14.06 ± 1.45 and 11.85 ± 0.75, respectively) (P < 0.05). A significant difference was found concerning the ICU stay between the two groups (P = 0.03).

This study demonstrated that Atorvastatin could reduce the rate of inflammatory factors in TBI patients. The inflammatory condition of TBI patients heavily determines their prognosis. Inflammation leads to several reactions as well as interactions between different cells and chemical mediators. The Atorvastatin could reduce the rate of inflammatory factors and improved GCS in TBI patients.