Statin use is associated with lower risk of atrial fibrillation in women with coronary disease: the HERS trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of statin treatment in atrial fibrillation (AF) prevention in women.


METHODS
Cohort study using data obtained in the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS).


METHODS
Secondary analysis of a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial.


METHODS
2673 Postmenopausal women with coronary disease.


METHODS
AF prevalence at baseline and incident AF over a mean follow-up of 4.1 years.


RESULTS
88 Women with AF were identified: 29 at baseline and 59 during follow-up. Women with AF were significantly less likely to be taking a statin at study enrollment than those without AF (22% vs 37%, p = 0.003). Baseline statin use was associated with a 65% lower odds of having AF at baseline after controlling for age, race, history of myocardial infarction or revascularisation and history of heart failure (odds ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13 to 0.93, p = 0.04). The risk of developing AF during the study among those free from AF at baseline, adjusted for the same covariates, was 55% less for those receiving statin treatment (hazard ratio 0.45, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.78, p = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Statin treatment is associated with a lower prevalence and incidence of AF after adjustment for potential confounders in postmenopausal women with coronary disease.
Pellegrini
C N
CN
Division of Cardiology, Electrophysiology Section, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Vittinghoff
E
E
Lin
F
F
Hulley
S B
SB
Marcus
G M
GM
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors