Sex-related differences in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims The sex-related differences in the clinical outcomes of rhythm and safety after catheter ablation remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in women and men. Methods and results The Medline and EMBASE databases were searched for published articles up to December 2018. Studies that met our predefined inclusion criteria were included. The primary endpoints were freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence, stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA), and all-cause mortality. After literature search and detailed assessment, 19 observational studies (151 370 patients; 34% women) were identified. Our analyses showed that the rate of freedom from AF/AT recurrence was lower in women than men at the 2.4-year follow-up [odds ratio (OR): 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.81; P<0.0001]. Moreover, women had an increased risk of stroke/TIA (OR: 1.42, 95% CI 1.21-1.67; P<0.0001) and all-cause mortality (OR: 1.53, 95% CI 1.02-2.28; P=0.04). Nevertheless, for the endpoint of all-cause mortality, there was no significant difference between the two genders in the subgroup of prospective studies (OR: 1.19, 95% CI 0.69-2.05; P=0.53). Additionally, women were more likely to experience major complications compared with men (pericardial effusion/tamponade, major bleeding requiring transfusion, and pacemaker implantation). Conclusions Women who underwent catheter ablation of AF might experience lower efficacy and a higher risk of stroke/TIA and major complications than men. The reasons for these sex-related differences need to be further studied.