City-based Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) will soon begin a trial to study the life-saving effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs on Covid-19 patients suffering from severe symptoms of the disease as a part of a research, doctors spearheading Covid treatment at the premiere State-run hospital said on Monday.
The coordinator of the Covid-19 Task Force at RIMS, Dr. Prabhat Kumar said that the research was approved two months ago by the hospital administration, but the trial could not start as the number of patients dropped significantly soon after the RIMS administration’s nod to begin the research work.
“It has been seen that drugs such as Statin and Atorva with lipid-lowering properties reduce the virulence of the virus, which helps in easing symptoms in Covid patients,” said Dr. Kumar, who is heading the project.
A study by researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine in June 2021 found that lipid-lowering drugs were anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic, which helped in reducing symptoms in Covid patients. The researchers also found that patients on regular dosage of lipid-lowering drugs due to history of illnesses had lower chances of in-hospital deaths.
Such drugs are usually administered to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases or those patients who are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases due to various conditions including obesity, doctors said.
During the trial here, doctors at RIMS will use Atorva, which is administered to prevent heart attacks and treat patients who have survived heart attacks, said Dr. Kumar. “The trial would begin once RIMS has sufficient patients of Covid-19 to conduct the research. At present, we have only two patients. We are hoping that the number of patients does not rise, but if at all there is a rise in cases, this research may help us save lives,” he added.
RIMS, which treated patients from across Jharkhand and neighbouring states during the Covid-19 pandemic, is also a part of an international research on the effects of coronavirus on the nervous system and brain of individuals. This research will also involve experts from European countries and the U.S.
As per records with the National Health Mission (NHM), more than half of the 5,131 Covid casualties in Jharkhand were reported among senior citizens, most of whom already suffered from comorbid conditions and diseases. Doctors say that administering lipid-lowering drugs might also help patients with severe comorbid conditions overcome a Coronavirus infection.