Relation of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AbstractBackground: Several observational studies evaluated the associations of baseline N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but the results were contradictory.Methods: Electronic bibliographic databases were searched from inception to May 2015, and the results reviewed by two independent reviewers. Pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess associations between NT-proBNP levels and new-onset AF in patients with ACS. We performed sensitivity analyses to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity and estimated publication biases.Results: Six papers, including 5861 patients (438 with AF and 5423 without AF) with ACS were analyzed. Overall, the NT-proBNP levels were higher in patients with new-onset AF than controls without AF. The SMD of the NT-proBNP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 0.53 units (95% CI 0.37–0.70), test ...