SynthesisArquivos brasileiros de cardiologia2022
Catheter Ablation is Superior to Antiarrhythmic Drugs as First-Line Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Post-Ablation Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence: A Meta‑Analysis.Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE · 2026Pooled it
- Sex-based disparities in postoperative outcomes after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of propensity-matched studies.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Randomized Study Comparing Radiofrequency Ablation with the PVAC Gold System vs. Antiarrhythmic Drugs in Elderly Patients with Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2024Trial
- The Effect of Weight Loss and Metabolic Interventions on Recurrence After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Sex differences in atrial fibrillation treatment with catheter ablation in Southern Brazil: Real-world insights from a Latin American registry-SBR-AF.Heart rhythm O2 · 2026Article
- Article
- Atrial fibrillation: from pathogenesis to novel treatment options.Molecular biomedicine · 2025Review
- Brazilian Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines - 2025.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2025Article
- Pulmonary Lobectomy for Chronic Pulmonary Vein Occlusion after Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Case Report and Literature Review.Surgical case reports · 2025Article
- Impact of Pulsed Field Ablation on Atrial Fibrillation.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2024Article
- Postoperative recurrence prediction model for atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.American journal of translational research · 2024Review
- Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Setting of Reperfusion Therapy: Insights and Strategies for Optimized Care.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2023Review
- Catheter Ablation as First-Line Therapy in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation - Should We Always Indicate it?Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCatheter ablation is a well-established therapy for rhythm control in patients who are refractory or intolerant to anti-arrhythmic drugs (AAD). Less is known about the efficacy of catheter ablation compared with AAD as a first-line strategy for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF).
objectivesWe aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of catheter ablation vs. AAD in patients naïve to prior rhythm control therapies.
methodsPubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials that compared catheter ablation to AAD for initial rhythm control in symptomatic AF and reported the outcomes of (1) recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs); (2) symptomatic AF; (3) hospitalizations; and (4) symptomatic bradycardia. Heterogeneity was examined with I2statistics. P values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
resultsWe included five trials with 994 patients, of whom 502 (50.5%) underwent catheter ablation. Mean follow-up ranged from one to five years. Recurrences of AT (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.25-0.52; p<0.001) and symptomatic AF (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.18-0.57; p<0.001), and hospitalizations (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.15-0.42; p<0.001) were significantly less frequent in patients treated with catheter ablation compared with AAD. Symptomatic bradycardia was not significantly different between groups (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.18-1.65; p=0.28). Significant pericardial effusions or tamponade occurred in eight of 464 (1.7%) patients in the catheter ablation group.
conclusionThese findings suggest that catheter ablation has superior efficacy to AAD as an initial rhythm control strategy in patients with symptomatic AF.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.