Can a common cholesterol drug shield the heart after lung surgery?

NCT ID NCT07727681

Prevention Sponsor: Peking Union Medical College Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This trial investigates whether a short course of atorvastatin, a widely used statin, can prevent atrial fibrillation—a rapid, irregular heartbeat—in adults aged 60 and older undergoing lung surgery. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either atorvastatin or a placebo for a few days before and after their operation. The study uses continuous heart monitoring for 72 hours after surgery to detect any abnormal rhythms, aiming to see if this simple intervention can reduce a common postoperative complication.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: atorvastatin (a statin drug) given as 40 mg daily before and after lung surgery
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to prevent a common and serious heart rhythm complication after lung surgery.
What could go wrong: This is a phase 4 trial, but the benefit of short-term statins for this specific use is not yet proven. Statins can rarely cause muscle or liver problems.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 540 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jan 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 60 years or older. * Scheduled to undergo isolated anatomical lung resection, including pulmonary segmentectomy or lobectomy. * Sinus rhythm documented by a preoperative electrocardiogram. * Not receiving antiarrhythmic medication, with the exception of beta-blockers. * Willing and able to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Untreated hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. * History of obstructive hepatobiliary disease, active liver disease, or other serious liver disease. * Preoperative serum creatinine greater than 150 μmol/L. * Known allergy to atorvastatin or another statin, or a history of a serious statin-related adverse reaction, including statin-associated myopathy. * Personal or family history of an inherited muscle disorder. * Continuous use within 1 month before randomization of fibrates, niacin, or medications that strongly inhibit cytochrome P450 or P-glycoprotein, including cyclosporine, oral azole antifungal agents, certain interacting antibiotics, protease inhibitors, nefazodone, or amiodarone. * Consumption of 1 liter or more of grapefruit juice per day within 1 month before randomization. * Current treatment with a high-intensity statin regimen, including atorvastatin 40 mg/day or higher or rosuvastatin 20 mg/day or higher. * Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, would make participation unsafe or interfere with the conduct or evaluation of the study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

atrial fibrillation prevention target

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Lung surgery Postoperative atrial fibrillation

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Can a common cholesterol drug shield the heart after lung surgery?

What the study statuses mean