Table 3. Patient characteristics according to AF management strategy at the end of the visit.
| Rhythm-control Strategy (n = 3909) | Rate-control Strategy (n = 6036) | p-valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 64.5 (11.9) | 68.0 (12.0) | <0.001 |
| > = 75 years, % | 20.4 | 32.5 | <0.001 |
| Male, % | 57.3 | 55.1 | 0.03 |
| Type of AF, % | <0.001 | ||
| Paroxysmal | 49.3 | 8.5 | |
| Persistent | 33.4 | 15.3 | |
| Permanent | 9.0 | 71.2 | |
| Unable to assign because first episode | 8.2 | 5.0 | |
| Time since first AF diagnosis | <0.001 | ||
| <3 months | 28.2 | 15.3 | |
| 3–6 months | 8.5 | 4.8 | |
| 6–12 months | 12.7 | 8.3 | |
| >12 months | 50.6 | 71.7 | |
| Hypertension | 72.9 | 72.2 | 0.48 |
| CHADS2 score > = 2 | 50.5 | 66.2 | <0.001 |
| Obesity (BMI > = 30 kg/m2) | 33.0 | 32.9 | 0.85 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 18.2 | 23.7 | <0.001 |
| Heart failure | <0.001 | ||
| No heart failure or NYHA I | 70.0 | 52.2 | |
| NYHA II | 20.8 | 28.5 | |
| NYHA III or IV | 9.2 | 19.2 | |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction | <0.001 | ||
| <35% | 4.3 | 8.3 | |
| 35–50 | 14.8 | 22.0 | |
| > = 50% | 80.8 | 69.7 | |
| Coronary artery disease | 29.0 | 34.9 | <0.001 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 10.1 | 16.6 | <0.001 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 3.1 | 5.6 | <0.001 |
| Valvular heart disease | 16.5 | 33.3 | <0.001 |
aRhythm-control vs. rate-control strategy.
AF, atrial fibrillation; BMI, body mass index; CHADS2, Cardiac failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes, prior stroke [doubled]; NYHA, New York Heart Association; SD, standard deviation.