Background: To more precisely evaluate the effect of statins on patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation, we performed a meta-analysis of published studies.
Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for all relevant published articles from the date of inception to April 2017. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were then calculated and pooled using a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic.
Results: Nine studies with a total of 1,607 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, statins did not reduce the recurrence rate of AF after catheter ablation (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.59-1.10, P = 0.18). However, in the subgroup analysis, the randomized control trial (RCT) group significantly reduced the recurrence of AF (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30-0.75, P = 0.001). Conversely, the retrospective cohort study subgroup also had a negative result (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.78-1.36, P = 0.82).
Conclusions: Statin use was associated with a significantly lower AF recurrence rate in RCTs but not in the whole analysis and the observational studies.
Keywords: atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; statins.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.