The prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement in heart diseases: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies.

OBJECTIVES

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has proven itself as an accurate and robust diagnostic approach and has been widely used in the detection of various heart diseases. An increasing number of studies focusing more on the prognostic aspect of LGE-CMR arose in recent years, contributing to the redundant systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this field. By providing a bird's eye view and performing scrupulous evidence rating, this umbrella review aims to help clinical practitioners and policy-makers interpret the results of the meta-analyses on the prognostic role of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in patients with heart diseases.

METHODS

An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies.

RESULTS

The 11 included systematic reviews comprise 33 meta-analyses covering 11 types of heart diseases, 19 different outcomes, 23,058 subjects, and 5393 events. Thirty-one of 33 meta-analyses were found supported by weak pieces of evidence and the remaining were deemed not suggestive. The meta-analysis with a p value of 9.21 × 10 and 991 events was updated by strictly re-conducting the meta-analysis by Becker et al. The updated meta-analysis on the prognostic role of LGE in subjects with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) included 1131 events and was rated as highly suggestive evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognostic role of LGE in DCM patients in terms of MACE is supported by highly suggestive evidence, which may facilitate the optimization of the timing of prophylactic implantable or wearable implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) considering the high risk of MACE and lower expectation of recovery.

KEY POINTS

• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has been widely used in the detection of various heart diseases. Numerous studies focusing on the prognostic aspect of LGE arose in recent years. • The meta-analysis on the prognostic role of LGE in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by Becker et al was updated and was deemed to be supported by highly suggestive evidence. • The credibility of the meta-analysis supported by highly suggestive evidence may facilitate the optimization of the timing of prophylactic implantable or wearable implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) considering the high risk of MACE and lower expectation of recovery.