Stopped: COVID-19 Pandemic
Rationale: After having a spinal cord injury (SCI), people develop changes in their body composition that influences their long-term health. Individuals with paralysis after SCI will have large declines in their bone density ant increases in fat mass which increases their risk of fracture and heart disease. Therapies to prevent SCI-related changes in body composition and their health effects are needed. Drugs known as "statins" used often to reduce high cholesterol, may help to reduce bone loss and inflammation. Hypothesis: Among adults with SCI for a long time, treatment with a drug named Rosuvastatin or a sugar pill, with supplements (coenzyme Q10, calcium and vitamin D), for twelve months can decrease their endocrine metabolic disease risk by increasing bone density and reducing inflammation. Study Design: A clinical trial will be conducted in Toronto, Ontario and Miami, Florida. Subjects will get statin therapy or placebo (sugar pill) by chance. Study subjects and research staff will not know whether they are taking the study drug or a sugar pill until after the study Subjects: Fifty-four adults (age 18-60 years) with a long-term SCI and no movement below their level of injury. Treatment: Subjects will be prescribed Rosuvastatin 10 mg daily or a sugar pill. In addition, all subjects will receive 100 mg of Co-Q10 daily, calcium carbonate 1250 mg and, vitamin D 2,000 IU once a day. Data Collected: Subjects' bone density will be collected at the start and end of the study. Change in bone density between the two groups will be compared to see if one is better. Blood samples will be collected quarterly to make sure subjects are safe and do not develop problems with their liver or muscles and to measure the effects of the study drugs on inflammation throughout the body. Clinical Implications: Statins may be safe and effective therapy for adults living with SCI who are at increased risk of endocrine metabolic disease as they age.
Age range
18 Years – 60 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Change from Baseline in areal BMD of the knee region
Timeframe: Baseline and 12 months (or study completion)