• Med Princ Pract · Jan 2011

    Randomized Controlled Trial

    Atorvastatin given prior to electrical cardioversion does not affect the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation who are on antiarrhythmic therapy.

    • Kenan Demir, Ilknur Can, Fatih Koc, Mehmet Akif Vatankulu, Selim Ayhan, Hakan Akilli, Alpay Aribas, Yusuf Alihanoglu, and Bulent Behlul Altunkeser.
    • Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Selcuk University, Tokat, Turkey.
    • Med Princ Pract. 2011 Jan 1; 20 (5): 464-9.

    ObjectiveIn this study, our aim was to evaluate the effect of a higher dose of atorvastatin on the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) after electrical cardioversion (EC) in addition to antiarrhythmic therapy.Subjects And Methods48 patients with persistent AF were included in this study. The patients were randomized to an atorvastatin 40-mg treatment group and a control group. Atorvastatin was started 3 weeks before EC and was continued for 2 months after EC. EC was performed using biphasic shocks after 3 weeks of treatment with the orally administered anticoagulant warfarin. Lipid and inflammatory parameters (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, white blood cell count and fibrinogen level) were evaluated at the baseline and before EC. The endpoint of this study was electrocardiographically confirmed recurrence of AF of >10 min.ResultsThere were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and lipid and inflammatory marker levels between the treatment and control groups. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were significantly decreased in patients taking atorvastatin for 2 months compared with baseline values (174 ± 31 vs. 129 ± 25 mg/dl, p = 0.001, and 112 ± 23 vs. 62 ± 20 mg/dl, p = 0.001, respectively), while no significant change occurred in control patients (168 ± 26 vs. 182 ± 29 mg/dl, p = 0.07, and 99 ± 18 vs. 108 ± 26 mg/dl, p = 0.1, respectively). At the end of the 2-month follow-up period, 9 patients (20.5%) experienced AF recurrence, and there was no significant difference in AF recurrence rate between the treatment and control groups (26 vs. 13%; p = 0.2).ConclusionAtorvastatin therapy prior to EC does not prevent the recurrence of arrhythmia in patients with persistent AF who are receiving antiarrhythmic therapy.Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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