Statins pre-surgery can reduce post-surgical complications in heart patients

An article in the February edition of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery has found that statins can be used to reduce complications during and after a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.
During major operations like CABGs, prolonged exposure to anesthesia can inflame patients’ tissues and is linked to complications post-surgery. Comparatively low-risk, statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs with anti-inflammatory properties that can improve patients’ chances of survival post-surgery.
"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," study author Islam Y. Elgendy, MD, said in a press release. "Statin use also seems to be associated with a reduced risk of death during and immediately after surgery."
Researchers are still working the optimal dosage and durations of statins, as well as their possible benefits for stroke, kidney and heart attack surgical patients.