Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Active atrial fibrillation |
Sinus rhythm |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo (n = 157) | Bucindolol (n = 146) | Placebo (n = 1086) | Bucindolol (n = 1090) | |
| Age (years ± SD)‡ | 65.5 ± 10.3 | 65.7 ± 11.7 | 59.0 ± 12.2 | 58.8 ± 12.4 |
| Female‡ | 11 (7%) | 18 (12%) | 279 (26%) | 252 (23%) |
| Black‡ | 19 (12%) | 19 (13%) | 259 (24%) | 283 (26%) |
| Ischaemic aetiology | 85 (54%) | 84 (58%) | 632 (58%) | 638 (59%) |
| Previous MI | 67 (43%) | 62 (42%) | 464 (43%) | 462 (42%) |
| Coronary angioplasty† | 13 (8%) | 17 (12%) | 187 (17%) | 170 (16%) |
| AF history‡ | 152 (97%) | 141 (97%) | 112 (10%) | 141 (13%) |
| Ventricular arrhythmia | 11 (7%) | 19 (13%) | 102 (9%) | 100 (9%) |
| Hypertension† | 81 (52%) | 82 (56%) | 642 (59%) | 659 (60%) |
| Diabetes‡ | 37 (24%) | 45 (31%) | 384 (35%) | 423 (39%) |
| Previous smoker | 83 (53%) | 90 (62%) | 603 (56%) | 576 (53%) |
| CHF duration (months ± SD)‡ | 64.7 ± 57.1 | 51.7 ± 43.0* | 48.2 ± 47.8 | 46.3 ± 45.9 |
| NYHA class† | ||||
| III | 141 (90%) | 129 (88%) | 1005 (93%) | 1005 (92%) |
| IV | 16 (10%) | 17 (12%) | 81 (7%) | 85 (8%) |
| Heart rate (b.p.m. ± SD)‡ | 80 ± 14 | 79 ± 14 | 83 ± 13 | 83 ± 14 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg ± SD) | 117.1 ± 17.8 | 117.8 ± 17.9 | 117.4 ± 17.8 | 117.3 ± 18.5 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg ± SD)† | 69.5 ± 11.1 | 70.4 ± 11.4 | 71.4 ± 10.9 | 71.6 ± 11.5 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2 ± SD)† | 27.7 ± 5.9 | 27.4 ± 5.1 | 28.2 ± 6.1 | 28.3 ± 6.1 |
| Euvolaemica‡ | 77 (49%) | 86 (59%) | 718 (66%) | 713 (65%) |
| LVEF (% ± SD)† | 23.7 ± 7.2 | 24.1 ± 6.9 | 23.0 ± 7.2 | 22.8 ± 7.3 |
| RVEF (% ± SD) | 32.3 ± 11.3 | 35.0 ± 12.0 | 35.7 ± 14.1 | 35.0 ± 13.8 |
| Norepinephrine (pg/mL ± SD)‡ | 639 ± 383 | 608 ± 508 | 477 ± 303 | 510 ± 335 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL ± SD)‡ | 1.4 ± 0.4 | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 1.2 ± 0.4 | 1.2 ± 0.4 |
| Medication | ||||
| ACE inhibitor | 155 (99%) | 142 (97%) | 1075 (99%) | 1076 (99%) |
| Vasodilator† | 48 (41%) | 59 (40%) | 482 (44%) | 467 (43%) |
| Spironolactone | 8 (5%) | 2 (1%) | 32 (3%) | 34 (3%) |
| Calcium channel blocker | 1 (1%) | 1 (1%) | 4 (<1%) | 9 (1%) |
| Antiarrhythmic agent | 2 (1%) | 5 (3%) | 23 (2%) | 35 (3%) |
| Digoxin | 149 (95%) | 139 (95%) | 995 (92%) | 1006 (92%) |
| Statin‡ | 26 (17%) | 18 (12%) | 300 (28%) | 292 (27%) |
| ASA‡ | 28 (18%) | 28 (19%) | 530 (49%) | 511 (47%) |
| Oral anticoagulant‡ | 135 (86%) | 120 (82%) | 395 (36%) | 392 (36%) |
ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; AF, atrial fibrillation; ASA, acetylsalicylic acid; BP, blood pressure; CHF, congestive heart failure; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MI, myocardial infarction; NYHA, New York Heart Association; RVEF, right ventricular ejection fraction; SD, standard deviation; SR, sinus rhythm.
AF vs. SR comparisons: †P < 0.05, ‡P < 0.001.
Treatment group comparisons within AF and SR groups: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.001.
aEuvolaemia defined as absence of jugular venous distension, peripheral oedema, hepatomegaly, or rales.