Effect of high dose versus low dose of atorvastatin therapy on inflammation and coagulation factors in type 2 diabetic patients; a randomized clinical trial study

Introduction: Statins are one of the most widely used therapies in different groups of patients not only because of cholesterol-lowering properties but also due to their non-lipid related mechanisms. However, the effects of atorvastatin on inflammatory and coagulation markers in type 2 diabetic patients are not well examined. Objectives: To evaluate, the effects of two different doses of atorvastatin on lipid profile, inflammatory coagulation markers, and liver enzymes in type 2 diabetic patients. Patients and Methods: In a randomized double-blinded controlled trial, 150 diabetic patients were randomly assigned to get atorvastatin 10 mg/d (n = 74) or 40 mg/d (n = 76) for 12 weeks. The concentration of biomarkers was determined both at the onset of the study as well as at the completing time of the intervention. Results: Significant differences between the mean levels of lipid profiles, fibrinogen, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6 were observed between two groups after three months treatment with atorvastatin 10 and 40 mg/d (P<0.05). Furthermore, significant improvement in all blood values after atorvastatin 40 mg/d ingestion was observed (P<0.05) except for homocysteine and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels (P>0.05). Conclusion: Atorvastatin therapy especially with higher dose was associated with inflammation and coagulation parameters improvement in diabetic individuals.