Table 1.
Baseline characteristics at study entry
| Variable | Micro-AF (n = 196) | Control (n = 250) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height (cm) median (IQR) | 170.0 (165.0–179.0) | 169.0 (163.0–177.0) | 0.035 |
| Weight (kg) median (IQR) | 73.8 (65.0–82.0) | 72.0 (63.0–83.0) | 0.480 |
| BMI, median (IQR) | 24.6 (22.6–27.1) | 25.2 (23.0–27.0) | 0.436 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) median (IQR) | 138 (129–153) | 137 (128–148) | 0.107 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) median (IQR) | 83 (76–90) | 82 (74–87) | 0.118 |
| Palpitations before study entry, n (%) | 64 (33) | 87 (35) | 0.686 |
| NT-proBNP (ng/L) median (IQR) | 255 (165–403) | 252 (182–363) | 0.899 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc, n median (IQR) | 3 (3–4) | 3 (3–4) | 0.019 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc, n mean (95% CI) | 3.22 (3.09–3.35) | 3.47 (3.34–3.60) | 0.008 |
| Congestive heart failure, n (%) | 4 (2) | 4 (2) | 0.736 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 99 (51) | 130 (52) | 0.775 |
| Age (years) median (IQR) | 76.1 (75.8–76.5) | 76.5 (76.2–77.0) | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes Mellitus, n (%) | 8 (4) | 33 (13) | 0.001 |
| Stroke/TIA, n (%) | 11 (6) | 22 (9) | 0.274 |
| Vascular disease, n (%) | 9 (5) | 21 (8) | 0.129 |
| Women, n (%) | 107 (55) | 140 (56) | 0.774 |
| Duration between two ECG methods (days) median (IQR) | 99 (55–143) | 0 (0–0) | < 0.001 |
| Number of intermittent recordings, n median (IQR) | 53 (46–56) | 53 (46–57) | 0.969 |
| SVEBs per 30 s intermittent ECG, n median (IQR) | 0.50 (0.12–1.46) | 0.09 (0.02–0.043) | < 0.001 |
AF atrial fibrillation, BP blood pressure, CHA2DS2-VASc risk score for ischemic stroke, CI confidence interval, IQR interquartile range, Micro-AF short episodes of irregular supraventricular tachycardia, always refers to when it is seen during intermittent ECG recordings, SVEBs supraventricular ectopic beats, TIA transient ischemic attack