Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Rural (n = 613) | Urban (n = 520) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 72.1 (9.6) | 72.6 (10.4) |
| Male sex | 384 (62.6) | 317 (61) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg, mean (SD) | 129.72 (16.32) | 127.13 (16.56) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg, mean (SD) | 74.06 (9.5) | 73.77 (9.7) |
| Type of atrial fibrillation | ||
| First episode | 39 (6.4) | 28 (5.4) |
| Not documented | 241 (39.3) | 267 (51.4) |
| Paroxysmal | 170 (27.7) | 134 (25.8) |
| Persistent / chronic | 163 (26.6) | 91 (17.5) |
| CHADS2 score, mean (SD) | 2.1 (1.36) | 2.16 (1.34) |
| Previous stroke, systemic embolism, or transient ischemic attack | 104 (17) | 105 (20.2) |
| Congestive heart failure | 146 (23.8) | 145 (27.9) |
| Hypertension | 490 (79.9) | 401 (77.1) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 189 (30.8) | 138 (26.5) |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 82 (13.4) | 75 (14.4) |
| Vascular disease | 206 (33.6) | 192 (36.9) |
| Congenital heart disease | 13 (2.1) | 15 (2.9) |
| Obstructive sleep apnea | 136 (22.2) | 86 (16.5)∗ |
| Tobacco use | ||
| Current | 38 (6.2) | 27 (5.2) |
| Former | 266 (43.4) | 187 (36) |
| Alcohol abuse | 44 (7.2) | 42 (8.1) |
| Pulmonary disease | 233 (38) | 151 (29) |
| CABG or PCI—combined group | 83 (13.5) | 78 (15) |
| Prior ablation (AF or atrial flutter) | 39 (6.4) | 37 (7.1) |
| Pacemaker / ICD | 82 (13.4) | 66 (12.7) |
| Any bleeding | 200 (32.6) | 154 (29.6) |
| Rate-control medications | 431 (70.3) | 340 (65.4) |
| Antiarrhythmic medications | 59 (9.6) | 40 (7.7) |
Values are n (%), unless otherwise indicated.
AF, atrial fibrillation; CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; CHADS2, score denoted by C = congestive heart failure (1), H = hypertension (1), A = age ≥ 75 years (1), D = diabetes (1), S = prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (2); ICD, implantable cardioverter defibrillator; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; SD, standard deviation.
∗
P < 0.05 between the 2 groups.