Table 2.

Hazard ratios of longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation^a

Medication use	Events	Person-years	Age- and sex-adjusted		Fully adjustedb
			HR	95% CI	HR	95% CI
Overall	304	5,001	---			---
Statins: Non-laggedc
Never use	175	2,474	1.00	reference	1.00	reference
Current use	89	1,890	0.77	0.60, 1.00	0.77	0.57, 1.03
Former use	40	636	1.01	0.72, 1.43	1.03	0.71, 1.50
Statins: Laggedd
Never use one year prior	195	2,812	1.00	reference	1.00	reference
Current use one year prior	83	1,641	0.91	0.69, 1.18	0.91	0.67, 1.24
Former use one year prior	25	539	0.79	0.52, 1.20	0.81	0.52, 1.27
ACE inhibitors or ARBs: Non-laggedc
Never use	112	1,768	1.00	reference	1.00	reference
Current use	130	2,171	0.98	0.76, 1.26	0.93	0.69, 1.26
Former use	62	1,063	0.92	0.67, 1.27	0.87	0.62, 1.23
ACE inhibitors or ARBs: Laggedd
Never use one year prior	131	2,046	1.00	reference	1.00	reference
Current use one year prior	113	1,980	1.00	0.78, 1.30	0.97	0.71, 1.32
Former use one year prior	59	967	1.01	0.74, 1.38	0.97	0.69, 1.37
Beta-blockersc,e
Current nondihydropyridine CCB use	27	382	1.00	reference	1.00	reference
Current beta-blocker use	157	2,407	0.98	0.65, 1.47	1.01	0.67, 1.53

Abbreviations: ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; CCB, calcium channel blocker; CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio

^aLongstanding persistent atrial fibrillation was defined as atrial fibrillation present on two separate occasions 6–36 months apart, without any documented sinus rhythm.

^bAdjusted for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, heart failure, prior stroke, chronic kidney disease, and current use of antiarrhythmic medication. Models for statins were also adjusted for total cholesterol:HDL ratio. Models for ACE inhibitors or ARBs and for beta-blockers were also adjusted for systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

^cNever, current, and former medication use as of the previous day of follow-up.

^dTo reduce healthy user bias, statin use and ACE inhibitor or ARB use were lagged by one year.

^eTo reduce confounding by indication, current beta-blocker use was compared with current nondihydropyridine CCB use. Person-time with concurrent use of both a beta-blocker and a nondihydropyridine CCB (214 person-years) and person-time with no current use of either a beta-blocker or a nondihydropyridine CCB (1,997 person-years) was excluded.