Effects of short-term atorvastatin use in patients with calcium stones: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

PURPOSE: A few experimental and observational studies have reported that atorvastatin prevents calcium oxalate stone formation. Our study is the first to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on 24-hour urinary metabolites, urinary malondialdehyde (U-MDA) (an oxidative stress marker) and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (U-NGAL) (a renal tubular injury marker) in patients with calcium stones and hyperoxaluria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial included 32 adults with recurrent calcium stone formation and hyperoxaluria. All participants received a 3-month course of either atorvastatin (20 mg/d) or placebo of an identical shape. Both groups received the usual nutritional care based on the European Association of Urology guidelines. RESULTS: Twenty-eight participants completed the study. Serum levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased in the atorvastatin group, and these changes were significantly different between groups (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between intergroup changes of the 24-hour urinary metabolite analysis, the U-MDA to creatinine ratio and the U-NGAL to creatinine ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Atorvastatin administration at a dose of 20 mg/d for 3 months did not affect 24-hour urinary metabolite, U-MDA and U-NGAL levels in recurrent calcium stone formers. However, this study could not disprove the preventive role of atorvastatin in kidney stone formation. Future studies should consider a larger sample size, longer follow-up, different drug doses, and measurements of multiple biomarkers of oxidative stress and tubular injury.