TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the included studies.
| First author | Intervention group sample size | Control group sample size | Year | Follow-up duration, months | Median age (experimental group) | Median age (control group) | Male/ female (experimental group) |
Male/ female (control group) |
Intervention arm | Control arm | Control strategy | AF type | Country | Comorbidities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassir F. Marrouche (19) | 179 | 184 | 2018 | 37.8 | 63.67 ± 11.11 | 64.5 ± 12.96 | 156/23 | 155/29 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers + digoxin |
Paroxysmal 48.6% Persistent 51.4% |
USA | HTN: 65%, DM: 25%, CAD: 18% |
| Douglas L. Packer (20) | 378 | 400 | 2021 | 48.5 | 68 ± 6.4 | 67 ± 6.2 | 207/171 | 226/174 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers |
Predominantly persistent | USA | HTN: 71%, DM: 28%, CAD: 20% |
| Ratika Parkash (21) | 214 | 197 | 2022 | 24 | 66.33 ± 9.63 | 67.33 ± 9.63 | 157/57 | 148/49 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
36% paroxysmal, 64% persistent | Canada | NR |
| Karl-Heinz Kuck (22) | 68 | 72 | 2019 | 12 | 65 ± 8 | 65 ± 8 | 60/8 | 66/6 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers + digoxin |
36.9% paroxysmal, 63.1% persistent | Germany | NR |
| Ross J. Hunter (23) | 26 | 24 | 2014 | 6 | 59.0 ± 10.0 | 61.0 ± 9.0 | 23/3 | 21/3 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
100% persistent | UK | NR |
| Luigi Di Biase (24) | 102 | 101 | 2016 | 24 | 62 ± 10 | 60 ± 11 | 77/25 | 74/27 | Catheter ablation | Rhythm control | AADS | 100% persistent | USA | HTN: 67%, DM: 24% |
| David G. Jones (25) | 26 | 26 | 2013 | 12 | 64 ± 10 | 62 ± 9 | 21/5 | 24/2 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers/ digoxin |
100% persistent | UK | NR |
| Michael R. MacDonald (26) | 22 | 19 | 2011 | 6.9 ± 0.9 | 62.3 ± 6.7 | 64.4 ± 8.3 | 17/5 | 15/4 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers/ digoxin |
100% persistent | UK | HTN: 48%, Stroke/TIA: 11% |
| Christian Sohns (27) | 97 | 97 | 2023 | 18 | 62 ± 12 | 65 ± 10 | 85/12 | 72/25 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers |
100% persistent | Germany | NR |
| R J Shelton (28) | 30 | 31 | 2009 | 12 | 74.2 ± 8.0 | 75.9 ± 11.8 | 26/4 | 25/6 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
Not reported | UK | NR |
| Chieng D (29) | 16 | 15 | 2023 | 6 | 65.5 ± 7.6 | 66.7 ± 7.9 | 8/8 | 7/8 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers |
100% persistent | Australia | NR |
| Ronald S. Freudenberger (30) | 1661 | 1650 | 2007 | 42 | 69.0 ± 9.0 | 69.0 ± 9.0 | 1230/431 | 1221/429 | Rhythm control | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
29.2% paroxysmal, 70.8% persistent | USA | NR |
| Rosita Zakeri (31) | 52 | 50 | 2022 | 94 | 60 ± 11 | 63 ± 11 | 46/6 | 47/3 | Catheter ablation | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
12% paroxysmal, 88% persistent | UK | NR |
| Akira Fukui (32) | 35 | 50 | 2020 | 27 | 70 ± 8 | 71 ± 13 | 23/12 | 32/18 | Catheter ablation | Rate control + rhythm control |
AADS + β-blockers + digoxin |
100% persistent | Japan | NR |
| Vincent E. Hagens (33) | 131 | 130 | 2005 | 27.6 | 69 ± 8 | 69 ± 9 | 85/46 | 85/45 | Rhythm control | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
100% persistent | Netherlands | HTN: 54%, DM: 15%, LVH: 20% |
| Denis Roy (34) | 682 | 694 | 2008 | 37 | 66 ± 11 | 67 ± 11 | 532/150 | 590/104 | Rhythm control | Rate control | β-blockers + digoxin |
not reported | Canada | HTN: 63%, DM: 18%, CAD: 32% |
CA, Catheter ablation; RhC, Rhythm control; RC, Rate control; Rh + RC, Combined rhythm and rate control; HTN, Hypertension; DM, Diabetes Mellitus; CAD, Coronary Artery Disease; LVH, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy; TIA, Transient Ischemic Attack; NR, Not reported. Percentages indicate the proportion of patients within each study arm.