The significance of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia on life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia events in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in the contemporary era: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Background Risk stratification for patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) remains challenging as previous studies predicting life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia (LTVA) events were conducted before the establishment of the current standard treatment. We investigated the prognostic value of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in NICM patients among recent studies. Methods MEDLINE, Embase were searched from January 2000 to October 2023. The risk of NSVT on LTVA and mortality was assessed using a random-effects model for patients with NICM. A meta-regression analysis was employed to identify sources of heterogeneity. The systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results A total of 18 studies were identified, including 5238 pooled participants. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the presence of NSVT was considered a significant prognostic indicator for LTVA events [hazard ratio (HR): 2.90; 95 % CI; 2.31–3.64] with low heterogeneity (I2: 19 %) and for mortality (HR; 2.28; 95%CI; 1.26–4.13) with high heterogeneity (I2: 69 %). The prognostic value of NSVT for LTVA was not affected by either ejection fraction or medications at baseline. Conclusion NSVT remained an important predictor of LTVA events even in patients receiving healthcare in contemporary eras. Detection of NSVT helps us to identify the high-risk patients with NICM.