Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyMeta-analysis
Association between early and late atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrences after pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- systematic review and meta-analysis
- random-effects frequentist models
Authors' conclusion
ERATs within 0-90 days and 0-60 days after PFA are robust LRAT predictors, whereas first-month ERATs remain insufficiently investigated. Further studies are required to define the optimal blanking period after PFA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing pulsed field ablation (PFA) for atrial fibrillation (AF), in observational or randomized studies with ≥1-year follow-up
- Participants
- 3,003 Seven observational cohort studies
- Comparison
- Association between ERAT and LRAT after PFA for different blanking cutoffs
Pooled result
Association of ERATs within 0-90 days with LRATs · 0-90 days
Odds ratio
8.98
95% CI 5.61–14.37
ERATs within 0-90 days
odds ratio 8.98 (95% CI 5.61–14.37)
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
Positive predictive value of ERATs
- within 0-90 days (95% CI, 0.55-0.76; I2 = 75%; 7 studies)
- 0.66
- within 0-60 days (95% CI, 0.63-0.81; I2 = 23%; 3 studies)
- 0.73
- within 0-30 days (95% CI, 0.16-0.90; I2 = 85%; 2 studies)
- 0.56
Diagnostic accuracy of ERATs within 0-90 days for LRATs
- specificity
- 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.95)
- positive likelihood ratio
- 5.83 (95% CI 4.09-8.32)
Meta-regression
- Age, heart failure, and non-pulmonary vein ablation were significant effect modifiers
Original publication
Association between early and late atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrences after pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart Rhythm. Published 30 January 2026. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.01.034
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it