The ability of statins to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients is controversial. To elucidate this problem, we conducted a meta-analysis. Electronic databases were searched through October 2011 to identify relevant studies. Either a fixed- or a random-effects model was used to calculate the overall combined risk estimates. Data extraction and meta-analysis were conducted using standard methods. The meta-analysis was performed with data derived from 10 cohort studies of the effects of statins on atrial fibrillation. The endpoint used was the occurrence or new onset of AF. A total of 193,839 patients were included, and 87,741 (45.26%) patients received statin therapy. The occurrence of AF was decreased by 35% in the statin therapy group compared to the non-statin-treated group (95% confidence interval: 0.57-0.74; P<0.001) with a heterogeneity of 86.2%. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were also performed to explore the source of heterogeneity and to test the stability of the results, and the subgroup results did not materially alter the conclusion. There was no significant publication bias according to Begg's and Egger's tests (Begg, p=0.21; Egger, p=0.71). Therefore, statin therapy is beneficial for preventing atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary artery disease.
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