Statins may reduce risk of atrial fib

TOURS, France, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Statins -- drugs that lower cholesterol -- may help reduce the risk of a type of cardiac arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation, a French study found.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests those taking statins were 6l percent less likely to develop atrial fibrillation than were patients not taking these medications.

"A positive effect of statins on atrial fibrillation may contribute to a reduction in the number of strokes or episodes of worsening heart failure," study leader Dr. Laurent Fauchier of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau in Tours, France, said in a statement. "What patients should know is this: If your doctor prescribes a statin for any reason, it will decrease the risk of cardiac events related to atherosclerosis, and by the way, it may also decrease the risk of atrial fibrillation."

The researchers analyzed data from six randomized controlled trials involving nearly 3,600 patients, all of whom either had experienced atrial fibrillation in the past or had a high risk of developing new atrial fibrillation following a heart attack or coronary bypass surgery.

Artrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm affecting the upper chambers of the heart, may lead to the formation of blood clots.