Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF
| Baseline patient characteristics | Paroxysmal AF (n = 771) | Persistent AF (n = 463) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Demographics | |||
| Age – years (mean±SD) |
66.75±9.84 |
68.78±8.54 |
0.0002 |
| Age classification: |
|
|
|
| • <65 years old |
298 (38.65) |
133 (28.73) |
0.0016 |
| • 65-75 years old |
304 (39.43) |
219 (47.30) |
|
| • ≥75 years old |
169 (21.92) |
111 (23.97) |
|
| Female sex |
351 (45.53) |
136 (29.37) |
<0.0001 |
|
AF details | |||
| ≥2 episodes of AF in the previous 6 months |
433 (56.68) |
110 (24.72) |
<0.0001 |
| Cardioversion |
637 (82.62) |
453 (97.84) |
<0.0001 |
| Time to cardioversion ≤48 hours |
533 (69.13) |
0 |
- |
| Time to cardioversion >48 hours - ≤7 days |
104 (13.48) |
0 |
- |
| Time to cardioversion >7 days - ≤3 months |
0 |
260 (56.15) |
- |
| Time to cardioversion >3 months |
0 |
193 (41.68) |
- |
|
Coexisting conditions | |||
| HF/Left ventricular ejection fraction <40% |
32 (4.15) |
63 (13.61) |
<0.0001 |
| Stroke/TIA/Systemic embolism |
48 (6.23) |
27 (5.83) |
0.7790 |
| Hypertension for 6 months or more |
677 (87.81) |
372 (80.35) |
0.0004 |
| Diabetes mellitus |
115 (14.92) |
64 (13.82) |
0.5976 |
| Documented coronary disease |
34 (4.41) |
19 (4.10) |
0.7973 |
| Peripheral artery disease |
28 (3.63) |
20 (4.32) |
0.5450 |
| Renal dysfunction |
19 (2.46) |
14 (3.02) |
0.5553 |
| Neoplasia |
27 (3.5) |
11 (2.38) |
0.2676 |
| Alcohol abuse |
6 (0.78) |
10 (2.16) |
0.0378 |
|
Cardiovascular therapies | |||
| • No antithrombotic treatment |
182 (23.61) |
17 (3.67) |
<0.0001 |
| • Warfarin |
192 (24.90) |
404 (87.26) |
|
| • Antiplatelet agent |
385 (49.94) |
24 (5.18) |
|
| • Warfarin + antiplatelet agent |
12 (1.56) |
18 (3.89) |
|
| ACE inhibitors |
411 (53.31) |
275 (59.40) |
0.0372 |
| Valsartan |
389 (50.45) |
238 (51.40) |
0.7466 |
| Aldosterone blockers |
17 (2.20) |
55 (11.88) |
<0.0001 |
| Class I antiarrhythmic agents |
304 (39.43) |
113 (24.41) |
<0.0001 |
| Amiodarone |
181 (23.48) |
219 (47.30) |
<0.0001 |
|
Risk stratification schemes for thromboembolic events | |||
| CHADS2 - score | |||
| • 0 |
55 (7.13) |
38 (8.21) |
0.3946 |
| • 1 |
448 (58.11) |
251 (54.21) |
|
| • ≥2 |
268 (34.76) |
174 (37.58) |
|
|
Risk stratification schemes for bleeding events |
|
|
|
| OBRI - score |
|
|
|
| • 0 |
248 (32.17) |
113 (24.41) |
0.0120 |
| • 1-2 |
518 (67.19) |
345 (74.51) |
|
| • 3-4 | 5 (0.65) | 5 (1.08) | |