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Published on: February 26, 2013
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Reducing the Risk
Kaneez Fatima1, Dayab Asad2, Nafhat Shaikh3
1Department of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are known to improve clinical outcomes in heart failure, particularly heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, the effect of MRAs on the incidence of and recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well established. Therefore, databases, such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central, were searched from inception to September 2021 for randomized controlled trials of MRAs with AF as an outcome. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were combined using the random-effects model. A total of 10 randomized controlled trials (n = 11,356) were included. Our pooled analysis demonstrates that MRAs reduce the risk of AF occurrence by 23% compared with the control therapy (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.91, p = 0.003, I2 = 40%). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that MRAs reduced the risk of both new-onset AF (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.16, p = 0.28, I2 = 43%) and recurrent AF (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.90, p = 0.004, I2 = 26%) similarly; p interaction = 0.48. Our meta-analysis concludes that MRAs reduce the risk of development of AF overall, with consistent effects in new-onset and recurrent AF.
Insights
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) significantly lower the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) by 23%. This benefit applies to both new-onset and recurrent AF cases, offering a protective effect for heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) improve heart failure outcomes, especially in reduced ejection fraction.
- The impact of MRAs on atrial fibrillation (AF) incidence and recurrence remains unclear.
Conclusions:
- MRAs effectively reduce the overall risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
- The protective effect of MRAs against AF is consistent for both initial onset and recurrence.
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