No Beneficial Effect of Perioperative Rosuvastatin in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac surgery has shown many recent advances, but postoperative complications in patients undergoing bypass surgery remain a challenge. Investigators in China evaluated the effectiveness of perioperative rosuvastatin (20 mg/day) versus placebo in 1922 patients in sinus rhythm who were scheduled for elective cardiac surgery. Perioperative treatment began up to 8 days before surgery and lasted until 5 days afterwards.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation within 5 days of surgery, a prespecified coprimary outcome, was detected in 21% of the rosuvastatin group and 20% of the placebo group, a nonsignificant difference. In any of the nine prespecified subgroups (e.g., age ≤60 vs. >60, male vs. female, procedure, operative technique, postoperative m…