Table 1. Baseline Characteristics Premature Atrial Contractions (N=22,975).
| Baseline Characteristic | PACs (n=1,687) | No PACs (n=21,288) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), years | 69 (9.6) | 64 (9.1) | <0.0001 |
| Male (%) | 844 (50) | 9,206 (43) | <0.0001 |
| Black (%) | 727 (43) | 8,539 (40) | 0.016 |
| Region | |||
| Stroke buckle (%) | 354 (21) | 4,497 (21) | |
| Stroke belt (%) | 541 (32) | 7,494 (35) | |
| Non-belt (%) | 792 (47) | 9,297 (44) | 0.017 |
| Education, high school or less (%) | 673 (40) | 7,730 (36) | |
| Income, <$20,000 (%) | 308 (18) | 3,427 (16) | 0.021 |
| Ever smoker (%) | 920 (55) | 11,340 (53) | 0.32 |
| Diabetes (%) | 379 (22) | 3,980 (19) | 0.0001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mm Hg | 130 (18) | 127 (16) | <0.0001 |
| Body mass index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 29 (6.3) | 29 (6.1) | 0.025 |
| Low-density lipoprotein, mean (SD), mg/dL | 112 (34) | 115 (35) | 0.0012 |
| Aspirin (%) | 753 (45) | 8,644 (41) | 0.0012 |
| Lipid-lowering therapies (%) | 543 (32) | 6,642 (31) | 0.40 |
| Antihypertensive medications (%) | 908 (54) | 10,171 (48) | <0.0001 |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy (%) | 179 (11) | 1,916 (9.0) | 0.027 |
| Coronary heart disease (%) | 320 (19) | 3,013 (14) | <0.0001 |
*
Statistical significance for categorical variables tested using the chi-square method and for continuous variables the student's t-test was used.
PAC=premature atrial contraction; SD=standard deviation.