title: Effects of rosuvastatin on atrial fibrillation occurrence: ancillary results of the GISSI-HF trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This ancillary analysis of the GISSI-HF database aims at assessing the effect of rosuvastatin on the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) who were not in AF at study entry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GISSI-HF was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial testing n-3 PUFA and rosuvastatin vs. corresponding placebos in patients with chronic HF. Atrial fibrillation occurrence was defined as the presence of AF in the electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at each visit during the trial or AF as a cause of worsening HF or hospital admission or as an event during hospitalization. Among the 3690 patients (80.7%) without AF on their baseline ECG, 15.0% developed AF during a median follow-up period of 3.7 years, 258 randomized to rosuvastatin (13.9%) vs. 294 allocated to placebo (16.0%). Although the difference was not significant at unadjusted analysis (P = 0.097) and multivariable analysis adjusting for clinical variables (P = 0.067), it became significant after adjustment for clinical variables and laboratory examinations (P = 0.039), and for clinical variables, laboratory examinations, and background therapies (P = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that there is some evidence of a beneficial effect of rosuvastatin in terms of reduction of AF occurrence in patients with HF. Larger populations are needed to provide a definite answer to the question. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00336336.
authors.affiliation: GISSI-HF Coordinating Center, ANMCO Research Center, Via La Marmora, 34, 50121 Florence, Italy. maggioni@anmco.it
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucci
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchioli
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Franzosi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porcu
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cosmi
authors.forename: Severo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stefanelli
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tognoni
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium