TY  - JOUR
T1  - Corticosteroids and atrial fibrillation: Risks or benefits?
AU  - Liu T, Li G
Y1  - 2006/09/18
N1  - 10.1001/archinte.166.16.1785-b
JO  - Archives of Internal Medicine
SP  - 1785
EP  - 1786
VL  - 166
IS  - 16
N2  - 
We read with great interest the recent case-control study by van der Hooft et al,1 which showed that high-dose corticosteroid therapy increased the risk of developing AF in a population-based cohort, and they also presented some potential mechanisms that may contribute to this association. However, Dernellis and Panaretou2 demonstrated that low-dose glucocorticoid therapy following successful cardioversion of persistent AF could prevent recurrent AF, and this effect correlated with a significant reduction of C-reactive protein levels. Furthermore, another prospective randomized study3 also showed that short-term corticosteroid administration in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting significantly reduced postoperative AF. The protective effects of corticosteroid therapy on AF are possibly explained by anti-inflammatory mechanisms.4- 5

SN  - 0003-9926
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.16.1785-b
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.16.1785-b
ER  -