Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Overall (n = 614) | Women (n = 211) | Men (n = 403) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years), mean ± SD | 68 ± 8 | 71 ± 7 | 66 ± 8 | <0.001 |
| Total AF durationa (months), median (IQR) | 18 (6–60) | 18 (3–59) | 18 (5–60) | 0.90 |
| Duration AF episode at inclusion (months), median (IQR) | 3 (1–6) | 3 (1–7) | 3 (1–5) | 0.20 |
| Medical history, n (%) | ||||
| Cardiomyopathy | 41 (7) | 7 (3) | 34 (8) | 0.02 |
| Respiratory disease | 104 (17) | 31 (15) | 73 (18) | 0.31 |
| Previous hospitalization for heart failure | 60 (10) | 22 (10) | 38 (9) | 0.78 |
| Thromboembolic complication | 72 (12) | 29 (14) | 43 (11) | 0.29 |
| Physical examination, mean ± SD | ||||
| Length (cm) | 174 ± 9 | 166 ± 7 | 178 ± 7 | <0.001 |
| Weight (kg) | 87 ± 17 | 79 ± 15 | 91 ± 16 | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.6 ± 4.6 | 28.7 ± 4.8 | 28.6 ± 4.4 | 0.94 |
| Blood pressure (mmHg) | ||||
| Systolic | 136 ± 18 | 138 ± 18 | 135 ± 18 | 0.02 |
| Diastolic | 83 ± 11 | 84 ± 11 | 83 ± 11 | 0.18 |
| Heart rate in rest (b.p.m.) | 96 ± 12 | 96 ± 13 | 96 ± 12 | 0.97 |
| Clinical status | ||||
| Treatment, n (%) | ||||
| Strict rate control | 303 (49) | 105 (50) | 198 (49) | 0.93 |
| Lenient rate control | 311 (51) | 106 (50) | 205 (51) | |
| CHADS2 score | ||||
| Mean ± SD | 1.4 ± 1.1 | 1.6 ± 1.1 | 1.3 ± 1.0 | <0.001 |
| 0 or 1, n (%) | 373 (61) | 107 (51) | 266 (66) | <0.001 |
| 2, n (%) | 159 (26) | 67 (32) | 92 (23) | 0.02 |
| 3–6, n (%) | 82 (13) | 37 (18) | 45 (11) | 0.03 |
| Symptoms, n (%) | 348 (57) | 147 (70) | 201 (50) | <0.001 |
| Palpitations | 145 (24) | 77 (37) | 68 (17) | 0.001 |
| Dyspnoea | 215 (35) | 94 (45) | 122 (30) | 0.54 |
| Fatigue | 183 (30) | 81 (38) | 102 (25) | 0.42 |
| Functional class (NYHA)—I/II/III (%) | 65/30/5 | 56/37/7 | 70/27/3 | 0.003 |
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) | 65 ± 16 | 61 ± 16 | 68 ± 16 | <0.001 |
| Treatments | ||||
| Previous ECV, n, median (range) | 1 (0–22) | 1 (0–8) | 1 (0–22) | 0.57 |
| Rate control medication, n (%) | ||||
| No rate control drugs | 63 (10) | 10 (5) | 53 (13) | 0.001 |
| Beta-blocker | 408 (66) | 154 (73) | 254 (63) | 0.02 |
| Verapamil or diltiazem | 90 (15) | 30 (14) | 60 (15) | 0.91 |
| Digoxin | 198 (32) | 94 (45) | 104 (26) | <0.001 |
| Other medication at baseline, n (%) | ||||
| ACE-inhibitors | 203 (33) | 68 (32) | 135 (34) | 0.79 |
| Angiotensin receptor blockers | 114 (19) | 48 (23) | 66 (16) | 0.06 |
| ACE-inhibitors and/or ARB | 306 (50) | 114 (54) | 192 (48) | 0.15 |
| Diuretics | 247 (40) | 104 (49) | 143 (36) | 0.001 |
| Statin | 177 (29) | 57 (27) | 120 (30) | 0.51 |
| Vitamin K antagonists | 606 (99) | 209 (99) | 397 (99) | 0.72 |
| Laboratory values, median (IQR) | ||||
| NT-proBNP (pg/mL) | 1003 (634–1632) | 1240 (889–1907) | 879 (544–1408) | <0.001 |
| hsTroponin-T (pg/mL) | 9 (7–14) | 9 (6–13) | 9 (7–14) | 0.22 |
| Echocardiographic parameters | ||||
| Left atrial end systolic volume (mL) | 73 ± 26 | 69 ± 23 | 75 ± 27 | 0.02 |
| Left atrial volume index (mL/m2) | 36 ± 12 | 37 ± 12 | 36 ± 12 | 0.30 |
| Right atrial length, apical view (mm) | 58 ± 8 | 57 ± 8 | 59 ± 8 | 0.01 |
| Left ventricular end diastolic dimension (mL) | 51 ± 7 | 48 ± 7 | 53 ± 7 | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular end systolic dimension (mL) | 36 ± 8 | 33 ± 8 | 38 ± 8 | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular mass index (g/m2) | 135 ± 44 | 123 ± 39 | 142 ± 45 | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 52 ± 12 | 54 ± 12 | 51 ± 12 | 0.002 |
ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; AF, atrial fibrillation; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; ECV, electrical cardioversion; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; IQR, interquartile range; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide; NYHA, New York Heart Association; SD, standard deviation.
a
Total AF duration denotes the time from diagnosis of AF to start of study.