Safety of the combination of intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy with oral anticoagulation medication in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is very high in the elderly, and often oral anticoagulation (OAC) is indicated to prevent thromboembolism.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of combining intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy with OAC in elderly patients with AF.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind trial, 34 patients received OAC plus atorvastatin 40 mg/day and ezetimibe 10 mg/day versus placebo over 1 year.