High-dose atorvastatin reduces contrast-induced acute kidney injury after coronary angiography in Egyptian patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) observed after coronary angiography (CAG) requires preventive strategies guided by clinical judgment. Evidence is still lacking regarding the prevention of CI-AKI in patients undergoing coronary angiography. This study aimed to compare the effect of a high dose of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) plus preprocedural hydration, a high dose of atorvastatin (HDS) plus preprocedural hydration, or preprocedural hydration alone on the prevention of CI-AKI in patients undergoing elective coronary angiography. METHODS: A prospective multi-armed randomized comparative study was conducted on elective patients undergoing CAG. Patients were randomly assigned to either control group [n = 40], who received hydration with 0.9% saline started just before contrast media injection and continued for 12 h at a rate 1.0 mL/kg/min after angiography; NAC group [n = 40], who received oral NAC 1200 mg daily started 5 days before angiography and good hydration; or HDS group [n = 40], receiving one oral dose of atorvastatin 80 mg 24 h before angiography and good hydration. CI-AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of > 25% of baseline or an absolute increase of 0.5 mg/dL above baseline after 48 h. Incidence of CI-AKI and incidence of complications were assessed for all groups. RESULTS: The study included 120 patients. The incidence of CI-AKI was [32.5%] in the control group, [20%] in the NAC group, and [12.5%] in the HDS group. The incidence of CI-AKI was significantly lower in the high-dose statin group compared with the control group (risk ratio = 1.658; 95% CI 1.050-2.433). In-hospital clinical outcomes showed no statistical significance among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both NAC and high-dose statins may reduce CI-AKI incidence in patients undergoing CAG, with statins showing more promising results. These findings support prophylactic strategies for CI-AKI prevention in high-risk patients undergoing CAG. In-hospital outcomes were comparable. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical-Trials.gov (ID; NCT06139952, Date; December 2023).