Data from different observational trials have shown that treatment with statins significantly reduces the incidence of new-onset AF in the primary and secondary prevention .
The data are insufficient to recommend the use of statins before EC .
Finally , perioperative statin therapy may represent an important non-antiarrhythmic adjunctive therapeutic strategy for the prevention of postoperative AF
The aim of the present systematic review is to present an overview of the evidence linking atrial fibrillation ( AF ) , inflammation and oxidative stress , with emphasis on the potential of statins to decrease the incidence of different types of AF , including new-onset AF , after electrical cardioversion ( EC ) and after cardiac surgery .
Observational and clinical trials have studied the impact of statin therapy on new-onset , post-EC or postoperative AF .
Association of Pravastatin and Left Ventricular Mass in Hypercholesterolemic Patients: Role of 8-Iso-Prostaglandin F2&agr; Formation
Epidemiologic studies have shown that hypercholesterolemia is associated with increased left ventricular ( LV ) mass . Free radicals have been shown to be increased in hyperlipidemic patients . This study sought to determine whether pravastatin administration can affect LV mass in patients with untreated total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dl by reducing 8-iso-prostagl and in F2&agr ; concentrations , a reliable marker of oxidant injury . Fifty patients were r and omly assigned to one of two groups , one with ( n = 25 ) and one without ( n = 25 ) treatment with pravastatin ( 10 or 20 mg/d ) . A group of normolipidemic control subjects was used for comparison . Echocardiograms were performed at baseline and after 6 months of therapy . Hyperlipidemic patients showed significant increases in LV mass index at baseline compared with the normolipidemic control group ( 125 ± 8 vs. 107 ± 5 g/m2 , p < 0.0001 ) . Pravastatin treatment significantly reduced plasma total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels , as well as increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . After 6 months of therapy with pravastatin , the magnitude of LV mass regression correlated with the magnitude of inhibition of free radical formation assessed by 8-iso-prostagl and in F2&agr ; formation ( r = 0.67 , p = 0.002 ) . Multivariate analysis revealed that regression of LV mass was significantly correlated only with the changes in 8-iso-prostagl and in F2&agr ; ( p < 0.0001 , adjusted R2 = 0.83 ) . These findings demonstrated for the first time that in addition to its primary anti-lipidemia , pravastatin may have an additional effect of reducing LV mass – independent lipid-lowering effects , possibly through attenuation of free radical formation
Data from different observational trials have shown that treatment with statins significantly reduces the incidence of new-onset AF in the primary and secondary prevention .
The data are insufficient to recommend the use of statins before EC .
Finally , perioperative statin therapy may represent an important non-antiarrhythmic adjunctive therapeutic strategy for the prevention of postoperative AF
The aim of the present systematic review is to present an overview of the evidence linking atrial fibrillation ( AF ) , inflammation and oxidative stress , with emphasis on the potential of statins to decrease the incidence of different types of AF , including new-onset AF , after electrical cardioversion ( EC ) and after cardiac surgery .
Observational and clinical trials have studied the impact of statin therapy on new-onset , post-EC or postoperative AF .