EFFECT OF ATORVASTATIN ON TELOMERE LENGTH, NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT CHAIN (NFL), AND GLIAL FIBRILLARY ACIDIC PROTEIN (GFAP)

Statins are widely used for the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases, exerting pleiotropic effects that include the reduction of inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. However, the effects of statins on telomere length and blood-based biomarkers remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on longitudinal changes in telomere length, plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels in patients with atherosclerotic disease without prior statin exposure. This was a single-center, observational, open-label study. A total of 27 participants completed the 6-month follow-up. Atorvastatin was selected as the study drug, and participants received 10 mg or 20 mg daily according to clinical judgement. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and after 6 months. Telomere length, plasma NfL, and GFAP levels were measured and compared longitudinally. The primary outcomes were longitudinal changes in telomere length, NfL, and GFAP levels within each group. Over 6 months, NfL levels significantly decreased in the atorvastatin 20 mg group (11.9 to 9.0 pg/mL, p = 0.036), whereas no significant changes were observed in the 10 mg group. GFAP levels decreased, and telomere length increased, although the changes were not statistically significant. In conclusion, moderate-intensity atorvastatin (20 mg) was associated with a reduction in blood NfL levels, suggesting a potential neuroprotective effect on axonal injury in patients. No significant longitudinal changes were observed in GFAP levels or telomere length over the 6 months. These findings warrant confirmation in larger studies to elucidate the role of statins in neurodegenerative disease prevention.