Heart Surgery Risk Lower With Statin Use: Study

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Statin use before and after heart surgery may help patients avoid complications, a new study suggested.

According to a review article published in the Journal the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, using of statin reduces cardiac difficulties and the risk of death during the coronary artery bypass procedure.

Many doctors do not allow patients to take statin before and after the procedure because of the effects it may bring that would complicate the patients' health status. However, a group of researchers who conducted the study said that the negative effects of statin are almost non-existent and the benefits it brings appeared to have outweigh the risks.

According to Science Daily, Doctors such as Islam Y. Elgendy, MD, from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and Amr F. Barakat, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have examined the use of statin before and after the operation to evaluate the effects of the medicine on the patients.

"It appears that taking statins prior to CABG surgery can help protect patients against developing atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that is a common complication following heart surgery," Dr. Elgendy explained. "Statin use also seems to be associated with a reduced risk of death during and immediately after surgery."

Statins belong to a class of drugs known as ACE-Inhibitors. These drugs often prescribed by physicians to help patients with high cholesterol levels in their blood. In previous studies, statin is said to reduce the risk of heart attack for certain people.

The study was conducted by researchers at Cleveland Clinic and University of Florida analyzing previous statin studies. They compared the negative from the positive effects of the drug between patients who were using statins before and after their surgery. They found out that the potential help of statin for patients with heart diseases may be worth the risk during heart surgeries.

In a report by the New York Times, Dr. Elgendy specified the importance of statin for people with coronary artery disease. He also said that patients should continue using the drug before and after surgery.

"The results of this review call for active efforts to counsel patients and surgeons about the benefits of statins that definitely outweigh the risks of their rare potential side effects," Elgendy said.

Nevertheless, he believes that future study must be conducted to know the ideal dosage needed by a patient during the process. Future research will also give them the chance to know the other effects of statins to patients.