Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients Who Had an Arrhythmia During the 2016 US Presidential Election and Those Who Did Not
| Characteristics | Overall Sample (N=2436) | Arrhythmia (n=655) | No Arrhythmia (n=1781) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, y* | 70.8±12.9 | 69.1±12.9 | 71.4±12.8 | <0.001 |
| Men | 1444 (59.4) | 411 (63.0) | 1033 (58.1) | 0.029 |
| Race/ethnicity† | 0.001 | |||
| White | 1809 (74.5) | 463 (71.0) | 1346 (75.7) | |
| Black | 516 (21.2) | 171 (26.2) | 345 (19.4) | |
| Hispanic | 22 (0.9) | 4 (0.6) | 18 (1.0) | |
| Other | 82 (3.4) | 14 (2.1) | 68 (3.8) | |
| Employment status (retired) | 1555 (68.4) | 406 (66.2) | 1149 (69.1) | 0.187 |
| Device | ||||
| Pacemaker (ICD as referent group) | 1140 (46.8) | 245 (37.4) | 895 (50.3) | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular assist device | 13 (0.6) | 7 (1.1) | 6 (0.4) | 0.054 |
| Time since implant, y* | 3.08±3.08 | 2.85±3.45 | 3.17±2.93 | 0.025 |
| Clinical history | ||||
| Hypertension | 1413 (62.6) | 385 (62.2) | 1028 (62.8) | 0.808 |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 846 (37.5) | 235 (38.0) | 611 (37.3) | 0.770 |
| Congestive heart failure | 1147 (50.8) | 348 (56.2) | 799 (48.8) | 0.002 |
| Coronary artery disease | 867 (38.4) | 239 (38.6) | 628 (38.3) | 0.923 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 341 (15.1) | 78 (12.6) | 263 (16.1) | 0.041 |
| Obstructive sleep apnea | 179 (7.9) | 61 (9.9) | 118 (7.2) | 0.044 |
| Stroke/TIA | 141 (6.2) | 37 (6.0) | 104 (6.3) | 0.845 |
| Lipid disorders | 532 (23.6) | 139 (22.5) | 393 (24.0) | 0.470 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 179 (7.9) | 40 (6.5) | 139 (8.5) | 0.117 |
| Valvular heart disease | 242 (10.7) | 56 (9.0) | 186 (11.4) | 0.127 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 208 (9.2) | 52 (8.4) | 156 (9.5) | 0.463 |
| COPD | 225 (10.0) | 68 (11.0) | 157 (9.6) | 0.345 |
| Arrhythmias and conduction defects | ||||
| Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter | 1058 (46.9) | 353 (57.0) | 705 (43.0) | <0.001 |
| Prior sudden cardiac arrest | 53 (2.3) | 18 (2.9) | 35 (2.1) | 0.278 |
| Medications | ||||
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 1591 (65.5) | 457 (70.1) | 1134 (63.8) | 0.004 |
| β‐Blocker | 1890 (77.8) | 543 (83.3) | 1347 (75.8) | <0.001 |
| Statin | 1554 (64.0) | 421 (64.6) | 1133 (63.7) | 0.739 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 713 (29.3) | 207 (31.7) | 506 (28.5) | 0.119 |
| Antiarrhythmic | 541 (22.3) | 158 (24.2) | 383 (21.5) | 0.169 |
| Anticoagulation | 1192 (49.1) | 342 (52.5) | 850 (47.8) | 0.044 |
| Antiplatelet agent/aspirin | 1677 (69.0) | 473 (72.5) | 1204 (67.7) | 0.023 |
| Antidepressant‡ | 691 (28.4) | 188 (28.8) | 503 (28.3) | 0.800 |
| Lifestyle factors | ||||
| Body mass index, kg/m2 * | 30.06±6.52 | 30.48±6.98 | 29.89±6.33 | 0.053 |
| Alcohol abuse | 7 (0.3) | 1 (0.2) | 6 (0.4) | 0.681 |
| Drug abuse | 23 (1.0) | 8 (1.3) | 15 (0.9) | 0.481 |
| Smoking status | 0.402 | |||
| Current | 176 (7.7) | 50 (7.9) | 126 (7.5) | |
| Former | 1034 (45) | 296 (47) | 738 (44.2) | |
| Never | 1089 (47.4) | 284 (45.1) | 805 (48.2) | |
| Psychiatric comorbidities | ||||
| Major depressive disorder | 131 (5.8) | 30 (4.8) | 101 (6.2) | 0.267 |
| Prior anxiety or depressive disorder§ | 152 (6.7) | 37 (6.0) | 115 (7.0) | 0.399 |
Data are given as number (percentage), unless otherwise indicated. Listed values are for the overall sample, and comparisons are made between those who had an arrhythmia during the hazard period and those who did not. All demographic and clinical data were recorded in the electronic health record before the start of the study period (June 1, 2016). ACE indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICD, implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator; and TIA, transient ischemic attack.
Data are presented as mean±SD.
Data missing: race/ethnicity, n=7 (0.3%).
Antidepressant medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.
A composite variable was created for any prior diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and major depressive disorder.