. 2021 Apr 28;6(6):1–9. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2021.0852

Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Clinical Trials.

Variable	RAAFT-1,¹⁷ 2005	MANTRA-PAF,¹⁸ 2012	RAAFT-2,¹⁹ 2014	STOP AF,²² 2020	EARLY AF,²¹ 2020	CRYO-FIRST,²³^a
Funding source	Acuson	Danish Heart Foundation; Biosense Webster	Biosense Webster; Population Health Research Institute	Medtronic	Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada; Medtronic	Medtronic
Mean (SD) age ablation vs AADs, y	53 (8) vs 54 (8)	56 (9) vs 54 (10)	56 (9) vs 54 (12)	60 (11) vs 62 (11)	58 (12) vs 60 (11)	51 (13) vs 54 (13)
Mean (SD) CHA₂DS₂-VASc score (ablation vs AADs)	NA	NA	0.5 (0.7)^b vs 0.7 (0.8)^b	NA	1.9 (1.0) vs 1.9 (1.1)	NA
Patients randomized, No.	70	294	127	203	303	218
Randomization	1:1	1:1	1:1	1:1	1:1	1:1
Primary end point	First recurrence of AF >15 s	AF⁺ burden and cumulative burden^c	First recurrence of AF/AFL/AT >30 s	First recurrence of AF/AFL/AT ≥30 s	First recurrence of AF/AFL/AT ≥30 s	Free from any AF/AFL/AT >30 s
Total follow-up	1 y	2 y	2 y	1 y	1 y	1 y
Paroxysmal AF, %
Ablation	97	100	98.5	100	95.5	100
AAD	95	100	96.7	100	94	100
Withdrew/lost to follow-up, No.
Ablation	1	5	1	1	0	17
Drugs	2	7	1	6	1	13
First-line AADs, %
Class IC	77	99	94	69	81	92
Class III	23	1	3.3	21	19	8
Oral anticoagulant at baseline (ablation/AAD), %	NR	47 vs 44	53 vs 31	69 vs 69	67 vs 64	35.5 vs 44.0
Time since AF diagnosis (ablation/AAD), mo	5 (2) vs 5 (2.5)^d	NR	NR	1.3 (2.5) vs 1.3 (2.3)	1.3 (2.2) vs 1.7 (3.0)	0.7 (1.5) vs 0.8 (2.1)
Left atrial diameter (ablation/AAD), mm	41 (8) vs 42 (7)	40 (6) vs 40 (5)	40 (5) vs 43 (5)	39 (6) vs 38 (5)	39 (5) vs 38 (7)	37 (6) vs 38 (5)
LVEF (ablation/AAD), %	53 (5) vs 54 (6)	LVEF >60% in 80% vs 82%	61 (5) vs 61 (7)	61 (6) vs 61 (6)	60 (7) vs 60 (8)	63 (5.4) vs 64 (5.4)
Frequency of monitoring, mo	1 mo Event monitor at 1 and 3 mo, 24-h Holter recording before discharge, and at 3, 6, and 12 mo	7-d Holter monitor at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mo	Biweekly transtelephonic monitoring	12-Lead ECG at 1,3,6,12 mo Patient-activated telephone monitoring weekly. 24-h ambulatory. ECG monitoring at 6 and 12 mo	Implantable loop recorder (Reveal LINQ, Medtronic)	7-d Holter monitor at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 mo follow-up
Type of ablation	Radiofrequency ablation	Radiofrequency ablation	Radiofrequency ablation	Cryoablation	Cryoablation	Cryoablation
Ablation strategy	Pulmonary vein isolation	Pulmonary vein isolation, roof catheter, CTI catheter, mitral catheter	Pulmonary vein isolation, CFAE ablation, roof catheter, SVC isolation, CTI catheter	Pulmonary vein isolation	Pulmonary vein isolation	Pulmonary vein isolation
Acute isolation of pulmonary veins, %	100	NR	87	98	100	100
Blanking period	2 mo	3 mo	3 mo	3 mo	3 mo	3 mo
Additional ablation, (ablation/AAD), %	12.5 vs 51.4^e	47 vs 36	15 vs 43	0 vs 34^f	12 vs 24^f	5.6 vs 17
Free from atrial arrhythmias in catheter ablation group on follow-up, %	87	64.4	45.5	79.9	57.8	82.2
Free from atrial arrhythmias in the drug therapy group on follow-up, %	37	44.6	27.9	64.7	32.2	67.6

Abbreviations: AADs, antiarrhythmic drugs; AF, atrial fibrillation; AFL, atrial flutter; AT, atrial tachycardia; CFAE, complex fractionated electrogram; CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years or older, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack–vascular disease, age 65 to 74 years, sex category; CTI, cavotricuspid isthmus; ECG, electrocardiogram; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NA, not applicable; NR, not reported; SVC, superior vena cava.

^{^a}

Abstract published.

^{^b}

CHADS₂ score, with CHA₂DS₂-VASC, 0 to 1 meaning low risk for stroke and CHA₂DS₂-VASc 2 or higher meaning high risk for stroke.

^{^c}

Only episodes of AF lasting longer than 1 minute.

^{^d}

Months.

^{^e}

Ablation outside the prespecified time period

^{^f}

Number of repeated ablations after meeting the primary end point.