Effect of Prolonged and Substantial Weight Loss on Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Overweight and obesity are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and bariatric surgery (BS), able to induce sustained and prolonged weight loss, might represent the ideal treatment in the prevention of AF. Previous studies could not definitely establish a role for weight loss and BS in preventing incident AF so far. During the last few years, several studies on the effect of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular diseases have been published, and we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the role of weight loss through BS in the prevention of incident AF in obesity. Methods. This meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guideline. Eligible studies were controlled trials evaluating the appearance of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing weight loss through BS as compared with patients receiving medical treatment. Quality of studies was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale, and risk-of-bias was evaluated employing the Egger’s test. All analyses were run by a random-effects model according to Hartung and Knapp and sensitivity analyses were performed. Heterogeneity was assessed through Q and I(2) statistics for each comparison, and potential publication bias was formally investigated. Results. Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis, and the overall result was statistically significant [OR = 0.665 (0.475–0.929), p = 0.017], with significant heterogeneity (Q = 48.98, p < 0.001; I(2) = 81.6%), but with no publication bias. In sensitivity analyses, the amount of weight loss, percentage of patients with diabetes and value of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale, were all associated with significance of effect. Since age was different in one study, a sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding this study; OR was similar [OR = 0.608 (0.454–0.814), p < 0.001]; heterogeneity was reduced but still significant (Q = 35.74, p < 0.001, I(2) = 77.6%) and again no publication bias was detected. Conclusions. Bariatric surgery as compared to medical treatment is associated with reduced appearance of incident AF.