ArticleJournal of arrhythmia2026
Smoking and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.
Article in Journal of arrhythmia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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9 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Although catheter ablation is an established rhythm-control strategy, recurrence remains frequent. Smoking is a potentially modifiable risk factor, but its impact on post-ablation AF recurrence remains uncertain. This study evaluated the association between smoking status and AF recurrence following catheter ablation. Method: Six databases were searched up to March 2026. Studies including patients with AF undergoing first-time catheter ablation and reporting recurrence outcomes stratified by smoking status were included. Sensitivity, subgroup, and meta-regression analyses were performed. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test and trim-and-fill analysis. Result: Twenty-two studies comprising 6047 participants were included. Smoking was associated with a significantly increased risk of AF recurrence following catheter ablation (OR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.09-1.85; Conclusion: Smoking is associated with a modest but significant increase in the risk of AF recurrence after catheter ablation. Future studies should evaluate the impact of smoking intensity, duration, and cessation on ablation outcomes using patient-level data.
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