Table 1.
Characteristics of the patients
| Patients characteristics | Paroxysmal: n = 68 | Persistent: n = 23 | Controls: n = 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 66 ± 16 | 69 ± 11* | 61 ± 9 |
| Gender (M/W) | 40/28 | 14/9* | 12/6 |
| Weight (Kg) | 75 ± 12 | 84 ± 15* | 79 ± 11 |
| Size (cm) | 169[10] | 173[7.8]* | 167 ± 8 |
| Arterial hypertension (%) | 34 | 39* | – |
| Diabetes (%) | 18 | 21* | – |
| Time since the first AF episode (months) | 7.4 ± 4.3 | 6.4 ± 4.2* | – |
| Creatinemia (μmol/L) | 91 ± 17 μM | 94 ± 11* | – |
| Dyslipidemia (%) | 50 | 48* | – |
| Echocardiography | |||
| Left atrial diameter (mm) | 40.8 ± 2.6 | 41 ± 3.5* | 40.1 ± 1.9 |
| Left atrial volume index (ml/m2) | 29.6 ± 8.9 | 28.4 ± 9.8* | 29. 3 ± 8.7 |
| LVEF (%) | 61.4 ± 4* | 56 ± 13** | 59 ± 2 |
| Pharmacological treatment (%) | |||
| ACE inhibitors | 24 | 22* | – |
| Cordarone | 54 | 56* | – |
| Others antiarrhythmic drugs | 43 | 48* | – |
| Angiotensin receptor blocker | 12 | 11* | – |
| Beta-blockers | 26 | 21* | – |
| Aspirin | 16 | 18* | – |
| Statins | 50 | 48* | – |
| Diuretics | 11 | 13* | |
| Vitamin K antagonist | 24 | 22* | |
| NOAC | 64 | 77* | |
LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NOAC, non-antivitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; M/W, men/women; ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme. Values are given as mean ± standard deviation, number of patients, or percentage (%). * p > 0.1 compared with paroxysmal; ** p = 0.03 compared with paroxysmal