The Effect of Zinc and Selenium Supplements on the Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study

This study was conducted to determine the effect of zinc and selenium supplements on the incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery.

In this clinical trial, 54 patients were randomly divided into two groups of 27. The intervention group received a daily capsule containing 200 micrograms of zinc and 15 mg of selenium a week before the operation, and the control group received a placebo. 24 hours before the operation, the zinc and selenium levels were checked. All patients after surgery were examined and compared in terms of clinical parameters including atrial fibrillation, cardiac ejection fraction, bleeding, and length of hospitalization in the intensive care unit and hospital.

The mean difference of cardiac ejection fraction in the intervention group was -2.41 ± 0.77% (increased) and in the control group was 2.78 ± 0.86% (decreased), and the difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.001). During the study, 4 (14.8%) of the control group had ventricular fibrillation, and there was no case of AF in the intervention group, and the difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.015). The mean volume of bleeding (P = 0.011) and the mean length of hospital stay were significantly different between the two groups.

Prescribing zinc and selenium supplements before coronary artery bypass surgery can lead to a more favorable prognosis and reduce the incidence of ventricular fibrillation, reduce the length of hospital stay, and reduce the amount of bleeding after surgery.