Radiofrequency catheter ablation combined with spironolactone in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: A single-center randomized controlled study

Effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on new-onset or recurrent atrial fibrillation: a Bayesian and frequentist network meta-analysis of randomized trials

Background Clinical and translational research suggests that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) may prevent atrial fibrosis and electrical remodeling associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to consolidate existing evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of MRAs on incident or recurrent AF. Methods Medline, Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched until February 12, 2024. Triple-independent study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed. Evidence was pooled using both pairwise and Bayesian and frequentist network meta-analyses. Results Twenty-three RCTs (13,358 participants) were identified. Based on the pairwise random effects meta-analysis, MRAs were associated with a significant reduction in AF events compared to placebo or usual care (risk ratio {RR}= 0.75; 95% confidence interval {CI}= [0.66, 0.87]; P< 0.001; I2= 3%). This protective effect was robust both for new-onset and recurrent AF episodes (subgroup p-value= 0.69), while the baseline HF status was not a significant effect modifier (subgroup p-value= 0.58). MRAs demonstrated a significantly higher reduction in AF events for patients with chronic renal disease compared to placebo (RR= 0.78; 95% CI= [0.62, 0.98]; P= 0.03; I2= 0%). The network meta-analyses revealed that only spironolactone was associated with a significant reduction in AF events (Bayesian RR= 0.76; 95% CI= [0.65, 0.89]; P< 0.001; level of evidence moderate; SUCRA 0.731), while eplerenone and finerenone showed a neutral effect. Conclusion MRAs confer a significant benefit in terms of reducing incident or recurrent AF episodes, irrespective of HF status. In this context, spironolactone may be preferable compared to eplerenone or finerenone.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of clinical trials

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) improve cardiovascular outcomes in a variety of settings. This study aimed to assess whether cardioprotective effects of MRAs are modified by heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) status and to study their impact on AF events.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched to 24 March 2023 for randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of MRAs as compared with placebo or usual care in reducing cardiovascular outcomes and AF events in patients with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases. Random-effects models and interaction analyses were used to test for effect modification.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis of seven trials (20 741 participants, mean age: 65.6 years, 32% women) showed that the efficacy of MRAs, as compared with placebo, in reducing a composite of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization remains consistent across patients with HF [risk ratio = 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-0.98] and without HF (risk ratio = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75-0.93; interaction P = .77). Among patients with HF, MRAs reduced cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization in patients with AF (hazard ratio = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.54-1.66) to a similar extent as in those without AF (hazard ratio = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.63-1.07; interaction P = .65). Pooled data from 20 trials (21 791 participants, mean age: 65.2 years, 31.3% women) showed that MRAs reduce AF events (risk ratio = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.67-0.87) in both patients with and without prior AF.

CONCLUSIONS

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are similarly effective in preventing cardiovascular events in patients with and without HF and most likely retain their efficacy regardless of AF status. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists may also be moderately effective in preventing incident or recurrent AF events.

Aldosterone Effect on Cardiac Structure and Function

BACKGROUND

Cardiac remodelling could be a key mechanism in aldosteronemediated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Experimental and clinical evidence has demonstrated that aldosterone causes cardiac structural remodelling and dysfunction by its profibrotic and pro-hypertrophic effects, which result mainly from the direct effects on myocardial collagen deposition, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Clinical studies have investigated the aldosterone effects on the heart in different clinical conditions, including general population, essential hypertension, primary aldosteronism, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Robust findings indicate that aldosterone or the activation of the cardiac mineralocorticoid receptor can cause damage to myocardial tissue by mechanisms independent of the blood pressure, leading to tissue hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

Aldosterone-mediated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality mainly result from cardiac structural and functional alterations. In different clinical settings, aldosterone can induce cardiac structural remodelling and dysfunction via several pathological mechanisms, including cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Aldosterone antagonists could effectively decrease or reverse the detrimental aldosterone-mediated changes in the heart.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Reducing the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

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.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation combined with spironolactone in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: A single-center randomized controlled study

At present, the question of whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with spironolactone can reduce the levels of plasma angiotensin II (AngII) and aldosterone (ALD) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and reduce the recurrence of AF has not been reported.