Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) has been shown to be independently associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) among patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). There is limited evidence regarding the efficacy of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to predict the incidence of NSVT.
Aims: To address this gap in knowledge, our meta-analysis aims to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of LGE on cardiac magnetic resonance in predicting the incidence of NSVT in HCM.
Methods: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL databses were queried from inception until May 2024 for all studies assessing the prognostic value of LGE on CMR in patients with HCM and reported the incidence of NSVT. Data were combined using a random-effects model meta-analysis to determine the pooled sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of LGE in predicting NSVT in patients with HCM. The association between the LGE extent on CMR and NSVT incidence was also assessed, and weighted mean differences (WMDs) were reported with 95% condidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity across the studies was evaluated using the Higgins I² statistic.
Results: A total of twenty studies were included in our analysis. The pooled senstivity, specificity, and accuracy of LGE in predicting the incidence of NSVT among HCM patients was 91.33%, 37.45%, and 52.86%, respectively. Moreover, we saw a significantly greater extent of LGE (5.95%, CI: 3.08-8.81, P<0.0001) in patients who had NSVT, as compared to patients without NSVT (Figure 1).
Conclusion: Our meta-analysis underscores the significant prognostic value of LGE as a risk stratification tool on CMR imaging in predicting the incidence of NSVT in patients with HCM, by demonstrating a high sensitivity, and a notable association between the LGE extent and NSVT incidence. Nevertheless, the low to moderate Ispecificity and accuracy underscores the need for additional imaging biomarkers for risk stratification.