5. Conclusions
This meta-analysis suggested that total and LA-EAT volumes, as well as EAT thickness, be higher in patients with AF occurrence in comparison to those without AF occurrence after cardiac surgery. The results showed that EAT may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for AFACS, which can be measured by both volume and thickness measurements. Further well-designed prospective studies are required to confirm this finding in order to guide the clinical practice.
6. Author contributions:
Rina Sha: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing;
Wenqiang Han: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data Curation; Mingjie Lin: Conceptualization, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing;
Jingquan Zhong: Conceptualization, Writing – Review & Editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition.