Malnutrition and risks of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation

Background Recent data showed an association between malnutrition and increased all‐cause mortality and thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the impact of malnutrition on the clinical outcomes for patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF is still debated. Our study aimed to examine this relationship using all existing available data. Methods We conducted a systematic review of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to April 2024, analyzing the association between malnutrition, assessed by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), and the risk of AF recurrence in patients who underwent catheter ablation for AF, compared to those without malnutrition. Relative Risk (RR) or hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CIs were retrieved from each study and combined using the generic inverse variance method. Results We included 3 cohort studies with 1697 participants undergoing AF ablation (10.9%) who had malnutrition indicated by GNRI score below 98. Patients with malnutrition had a higher risk of AF recurrence following catheter ablation for AF compared to those without malnutrition (Pooled RR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.36–5.51, I 2 = 67%, p = .005). Conclusions Our pooled analysis indicates that malnourished patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF have an increased risk of AF recurrence compared to non‐malnourished patients.