Table 1. Baseline Demographics and Clinical Characteristics.
| Baseline Characteristic | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Catheter Ablation (n = 1108) | Drug Therapy (n = 1096) | |
| Patients | ||
| Age, median (Q1, Q3), y | 68 (62, 72) | 67 (62, 72) |
| <65 | 375 (33.8) | 391 (35.7) |
| 65-<75 | 577 (52.1) | 553 (50.5) |
| ≥75 | 156 (14.1) | 152 (13.9) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 695 (62.7) | 690 (63.0) |
| Female | 413 (37.3) | 406 (37.0) |
| Racea | ||
| White | 1018 (92.0) | 1007 (92.1) |
| Black or African American | 39 (3.5) | 38 (3.5) |
| Otherb | 50 (4.5) | 48 (4.4) |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Hispanic or Latino | 30 (2.7) | 32 (2.9) |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 1074 (97.3) | 1062 (97.1) |
| Body mass index, median (Q1, Q3)c | 30 (27, 34) | 30 (26, 35) |
| AF severity (CCS class)d | ||
| 0 (Least severe) | 105 (9.5) | 118 (10.8) |
| 1 | 166 (15.1) | 173 (15.9) |
| 2 | 350 (31.8) | 353 (32.4) |
| 3 | 401 (36.5) | 382 (35.0) |
| 4 (Most severe) | 78 (7.1) | 65 (6.0) |
| Heart function severity (NYHA class)e | ||
| I (Least severe) | 153 (13.9) | 126 (11.6) |
| II/III (Most severe) | 376 (34.3) | 400 (36.7) |
| Medical history | ||
| Hypertension or LVH | 924 (83.4) | 927 (84.7) |
| Hypertension | 876 (79.1) | 900 (82.2) |
| LVH | 334 (38.7) | 328 (42.1) |
| Diabetes | 280 (25.3) | 281 (25.7) |
| Sleep apnea | 262 (23.6) | 246 (22.5) |
| Coronary artery disease | 208 (18.8) | 216 (19.7) |
| Heart failure | 174 (15.7) | 163 (14.9) |
| Family history of AF | 130 (11.8) | 122 (11.2) |
| Prior CVA or TIA | 117 (10.6) | 103 (9.4) |
| Prior CVA | 68 (6.1) | 58 (5.3) |
| Thromboembolic events | 41 (3.7) | 49 (4.5) |
| Ejection fraction ≤35% | 38/790 (4.8) | 31/740 (4.2) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| CHA2DS2-VAScf | ||
| Median (Q1, Q3) | 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) | 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) |
| 0-1 (Lowest risk) | 208 (18.8) | 187 (17.1) |
| 2 | 273 (24.6) | 291 (26.6) |
| 3 | 308 (27.8) | 329 (30.0) |
| 4 | 178 (16.1) | 151 (13.8) |
| ≥5 (Highest risk) | 141 (12.7) | 138 (12.6) |
| Arrhythmia History | ||
| Time since onset of AF, y | ||
| Median (Q1, Q3) | 1.1 (0.3, 4.1) | 1.1 (0.3, 3.7) |
| Type of AF at enrollmentg | ||
| Persistent | 524 (47.3) | 518 (47.3) |
| Paroxysmal | 470 (42.4) | 476 (43.5) |
| Long-standing persistent | 114 (10.3) | 101 (9.2) |
| Prior hospitalization for AF | 449 (40.6) | 425 (38.8) |
| Prior direct cardioversion | 398 (36.0) | 411 (37.5) |
| History of atrial flutter | 140 (12.9) | 158 (14.6) |
| Prior ablation for atrial flutter | 48 (4.3) | 60 (5.5) |
| Rhythm control therapyh | ||
| 1 Rhythm control drug | 398 (81.6) | 452 (82.2) |
| ≥2 Rhythm control drugs | 90 (18.4) | 98 (17.8) |
Abbreviations: AF, atrial fibrillation; CCS, Canadian Cardiovascular Society; CHA2DS2-VASc, congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years (doubled), diabetes, stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism (doubled), vascular disease (prior myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, or aortic plaque), age 65-75 years, sex category (female); CVA, cerebral vascular accident; LVH, left ventricular hypertrophy; NYHA, New York Heart Association; Q1, Q3, quartiles (25th and 75th percentiles); TIA, transient ischemic attack.
Race was determined by the site investigator in conjunction with the patient based on predefined categories as required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) using NIH-specified categories.
Asian, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander and multiracial.
Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
On a scale of 0 to 4, with 0 indicating the least severe and 4, the most severe symptoms of AF.
On a scale of I to IV, with I indicating the least severe and IV, the most severe symptoms of heart failure.
On a scale of 0 to 9, with 0 indicating the lowest risk of stroke and 9, the highest risk of stroke.
Persistent = AF episode sustained for ≥7 days or cardioversion is performed more than 48 hours after AF onset. Paroxysmal = AF episodes lasting ≥1 hour in duration that terminate spontaneously within 7 days or cardioversion is performed within 48 hours of AF onset. Long-standing persistent = continuous AF of >1 year duration.
Current or past use of rhythm control therapy reported at the time of enrollment.