Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the patients
| Characteristic | Active (n=26) | Control (n=27) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65.2±14.5 | 68.0±10.6 | 0.42 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 12 (46) | 12 (44) | 0.90 |
| Race, n (%) | 0.61 | ||
| Non white | 1 (4) | 3 (11) | |
| White | 25 (96) | 24 (89) | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 30.3±6.2 | 31.6±9.1 | 0.55 |
| Years with AF, n (%) | 0.79 | ||
| ≤1 year | 5 (19) | 6 (22) | |
| >1 year | 21 (81) | 21 (78) | |
| AF severity score | 0.68 | ||
| Class 0 to 2 | 14 (52) | 13 (44) | |
| Class 3 or 4 | 12 (48) | 14 (56) | |
| Heart failure, n (%) | 6 (23) | 5 (19) | 0.85 |
| Coronary artery disease, n (%) | 5 (19) | 7 (26) | 0.56 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 4 (15) | 7 (26) | 0.50 |
| Sleep Apnea, n (%) | 5 (19) | 9 (33) | 0.24 |
| Treatment for Sleep Apnea, n (%) | 4 (80)* | 7 (78)* | 1.0 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 17 (65) | 23 (85) | 0.12 |
| Sick sinus syndrome, (%) | 8 (31) | 11 (41) | 0.45 |
| Antiarrhythmic medications, n (%) | 14 (54) | 16 (59) | 0.69 |
| Flecainide, n (%) | 4 (15) | 3 (11) | 0.70 |
| Propafenone, n (%) | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | 1.0 |
| Dronedarone, n (%) | 1 (4) | 2 (7) | 1.0 |
| Amiodarone, n (%) | 2 (8) | 1 (4) | 0.61 |
| Sotalol, n (%) | 2 (8) | 1 (4) | 0.61 |
| Dofetilide, n (%) | 4 (15) | 8 (29) | 0.33 |
| Beta blockers, n (%) | 18 (69) | 20 (74) | 0.77 |
| Metoprolol, n (%) | 15 (58) | 16 (59) | 1.0 |
| Carvedilol, n (%) | 3 (11) | 4 (15) | 1.0 |
| ACE inhibitors/ARBs, n (%) | 11 (42) | 12 (44) | 0.88 |
| Calcium channel blockers, n (%) | 3 (12) | 5 (19) | 0.70 |
| Statins, n (%) | 6 (23) | 8 (30) | 0.59 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc Score | 2.9±2.1 | 3.0±1.4 | 0.84 |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy, n (%) | 19 (74) | 20 (73) | 0.93 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 61.2±8.5 | 58.1±8.7 | 0.20 |
| Left atrial diameter (cm) | 4.4±0.6 | 4.6±0.8 | 0.31 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 66.9±10.7 | 67.4±10.9 | 0.87 |
| PR interval (ms) | 186.1±44.9 | 192.2±45.7 | 0.63 |
| Correct QT interval (ms) | 441.2±21.4 | 440.3±22.9 | 0.99 |
*
percent of those with sleep apnea
ACE = angiotensin converting enzyme; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker