{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T02:55:18Z","timestamp":1789095318689,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782432000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":25,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) have traditionally been used as first-line therapy for ventricular tachycardia (VT) but are frequently associated with systemic toxicities and drug interactions. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis comparing early catheter ablation (CA) with AAD therapy as initial treatment for VT in patients with prior myocardial infarction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods and results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing CA vs. AAD in patients na\u00efve to both strategies. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager. Three randomized trials including 618 patients were analysed. No significant differences were observed in all-cause mortality, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies (including shocks and antitachycardia pacing), ventricular arrhythmia storm, hospitalizations, or adverse events between strategies. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis identified one trial as the primary contributor to between-study heterogeneity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Early catheter ablation provides similar efficacy to first-line antiarrhythmic drug therapy for major arrhythmic and survival outcomes, with reductions in hospitalizations and treatment-related adverse events, although largely driven by one trial. These findings support consideration of CA as a first-line therapeutic strategy in selected patients with ischaemic VT.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/europace\/euag073","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T11:31:26Z","timestamp":1777116686000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Early catheter ablation vs. antiarrhythmic drugs in treatment-na\u00efve ischaemic ventricular tachyarrhythmias: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-3716-6153","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tiago Moura","family":"Fa\u00e7anha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Fortaleza , Fortaleza, Ce ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3558-144X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna Isabelle Gomes","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, FAMETRO University Center , Manaus, AM ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3973-3269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Fernanda Carvalho","family":"Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, SUPREMA , Juiz de Fora ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-1935-0924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enzo Tunala","family":"Mendon\u00e7a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of S\u00e3o Paulo , S\u00e3o Paulo, SP ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-7550-5657","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Vitor Jacobsen","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Santa Casa de Miseric\u00f3rdia de Vit\u00f3ria , Vit\u00f3ria, ES ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9122-0904","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonardo Antunes","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrophysiology, Hospital Madre Teresa , Avenida Raja Gabaglia 1002, Gutierrez, Belo Horizonte, MG 30441-070 ,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B1","first-page":"e1","article-title":"2022 ESC guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death","volume":"24","author":"ESC Scientific Document Group","year":"2023","journal-title":"G Ital Cardiol (Rome)"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2657","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa065457","article-title":"Prophylactic catheter ablation for the prevention of defibrillator therapy","volume":"357","author":"Reddy","year":"2007","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hrthm.2021.10.010","article-title":"Trends in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator programming practices and its impact on therapies: insights from a north American remote monitoring registry 2007-2018","volume":"19","author":"Bennett","year":"2022","journal-title":"Heart Rhythm"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hrthm.2017.12.026","article-title":"Defibrillator shocks and their effect on objective and subjective patient outcomes: results of the PainFree SST clinical trial","volume":"15","author":"Sears","year":"2018","journal-title":"Heart Rhythm"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1009","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa071098","article-title":"Prognostic importance of defibrillator shocks in patients with heart failure","volume":"359","author":"Poole","year":"2008","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.295.2.165","article-title":"Comparison of beta-blockers, amiodarone plus beta-blockers, or sotalol for prevention of shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators: the OPTIC study: a randomized trial","volume":"295","author":"Connolly","year":"2006","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104521","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phrs.2019.104521","article-title":"The role of amiodarone in contemporary management of complex cardiac arrhythmias","volume":"151","author":"Mujovi\u0107","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pharmacol Res"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1513614","article-title":"Ventricular tachycardia ablation versus escalation of antiarrhythmic drugs","volume":"375","author":"Sapp","year":"2016","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2105","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2017.02.044","article-title":"Early mortality after catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural heart disease","volume":"69","author":"Santangeli","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Am Coll Cardiol"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2054","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hrthm.2022.07.005","article-title":"Impact of early ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"19","author":"Prasitlumkum","year":"2022","journal-title":"Heart Rhythm"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B11","volume-title":"Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. 6.5","author":"Higgins","year":"2024"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"n71","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.n71","article-title":"The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews","volume":"372","author":"Page","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"l4898","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.l4898","article-title":"Rob 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials","volume":"366","author":"Sterne","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B14","year":"2024"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"737","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2409501","article-title":"Catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drugs for ventricular tachycardia","volume":"392","author":"Sapp","year":"2025","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1441","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2022.01.050","article-title":"Substrate ablation vs antiarrhythmic drug therapy for symptomatic ventricular tachycardia","volume":"79","author":"Arenal","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Am Coll Cardiol"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"euaf236","DOI":"10.1093\/europace\/euaf236","article-title":"Early substrate-based catheter ablation vs. antiarrhythmic drug therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias among patients with prior myocardial infarction: the MANTRA-VT randomized trial","volume":"27","author":"Raatikainen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Europace"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1552","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hrthm.2016.03.004","article-title":"Comparative effectiveness of antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation for the prevention of recurrent ventricular tachycardia in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"13","author":"Santangeli","year":"2016","journal-title":"Heart Rhythm"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"euaf302","DOI":"10.1093\/europace\/euaf302","article-title":"Catheter ablation vs. anti-arrhythmic drug therapy for ventricular tachycardia in ischaemic heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"27","author":"Santoro","year":"2025","journal-title":"Europace"},{"key":"2026062523535196600_euag073-B20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2934","DOI":"10.1111\/jce.70075","article-title":"Catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia in ischemic cardiomyopathy: a meta-analysis with reconstructed time-to-event and trial sequential analysis","volume":"36","author":"Elbenawi","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol"}],"container-title":["Europace"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/europace\/article-pdf\/28\/6\/euag073\/68624285\/euag073.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/europace\/article-pdf\/28\/6\/euag073\/68624285\/euag073.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T03:54:01Z","timestamp":1782446041000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/europace\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/europace\/euag073\/8718640"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/europace\/euag073","relation":{},"ISSN":["1099-5129","1532-2092"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1099-5129","type":"print"},{"value":"1532-2092","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"article-number":"euag073"}}