 Vitamin C for the Prevention of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Surgery - A Meta-Analysis..pdf | [Vitamin C for the Prevention of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.] | 904 kB |
Vitamin C for the Prevention of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.
Adv Pharm Bull. 2016 Jun ;6(2):243-50. Epub 2016 Jun 30. PMID: 27478787
Evangelos Polymeropoulos
PURPOSE: Several studies have investigated the administration of vitamin C (vitC) for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac surgery. However, their findings were inconsistent. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of vitC as prophylaxis for the prevention of postoperative AF in cardiac surgery.
METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registries, was performed. 9 studies, published from August 2001 to May 2015, were included, with a total of 1,037 patients. Patients were randomized to receive vitC, or placebo.
RESULTS: Cardiac surgery patients who received vitC as prophylaxis, had a significantly lower incidence of postoperative AF (random effects OR=0.478, 95% CI 0.340 - 0.673, P<10(-4)). No significant heterogeneity was detected across the analyzed studies (I(2)=21.7%), and no publication bias or other small study-related bias was found.
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that VitC is effective as prophylaxis for the prevention of postoperative AF. The administration of vitC may be considered in all patients undergoing cardiac surgery.