Risk of atrial fibrillation with high-dose corticosteroids.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia observed in clinical practice. Some drugs have been associated with the onset of AF, but knowledge about the role of drugs in the development of AF is scarce. High-dose corticosteroid therapy has been associated with the development of AF, but this is mainly based on case reports. Therefore, the authors review the available data in the international literature about the cause-effect relationship between corticosteroid therapy and the onset of AF.