Table 1.
Demographics and clinical characteristics of study participants
| Total n = 236 | Non-AF n = 152 | SCAF n = 84 | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, n (%) | 90 (38) | 59 (39) | 31 (37) | 0.726 |
| Male, n (%) | 146 (62) | 93 (61) | 53 (63) | |
| TIA, n (%) | 61 (26) | 44 (29) | 17 (20) | 0.151 |
| Stroke, n (%) | 175 (74) | 109 (71) | 67 (80) | |
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 68.6 (12.5) | 66.7 (13.0) | 72.1 (10.7) | 0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD) | 27.2 (4.5) | 27.0 (4.3) | 27.6 (4.8) | 0.316 |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 28 (12) | 18 (12) | 10 (12) | 0.854 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc, median (IQR) | 4 (3–5) | 4 (3–5) | 5 (4–6) | 0.014 |
| HT, n (%) | 150 (64) | 87 (57) | 63 (75) | 0.007 |
| Vascular disease, n (%) | 40 (17) | 25 (16) | 15 (18) | 0.782 |
| CHF, n (%) | 8 (3) | 3 (2) | 5 (6) | 0.106 |
| DM, n (%) | 30 (13) | 17 (11) | 13 (16) | 0.343 |
| DVT/PE, n (%) | 6 (3) | 2 (1) | 4 (5) | 0.105 |
| P-duration, ms, mean (SD) | 109.6 (18.7) | 106.1 (16.7) | 116 (20.5) | 0.026 |
| P-morphology bimodal, n (%) | 122 (51.7) | 67 (44) | 56 (67) | 0.002 |
| PAC/24-h ECG, median (IQR) | 90 (35–460) | 66 (28–206) | 347 (59–1917) | <0.001 |
| SVT/24-h ECG, median (IQR) | 1 (0–5) | 1 (0–3) | 3 (1–27) | <0.001 |
| D-dimer, mg/L, median (IQR) | 0.4 (0.2–0.7) | 0.3 (0.2–0.6) | 0.5 (0.3–0.9) | <0.001 |
| TnT, ng/L, median (IQR) | 11.5 (7–18) | 10 (7–16) | 14.5 (9.3–26.8) | <0.001 |
| NT-proBNP, ng/L, median (IQR) | 143 (59–387) | 104.5 (51–283) | 245 (102–774) | <0.001 |
| LAVI, mL/m2, mean (SD) | 37 (11) | 35 (9) | 42 (12) | <0.001 |
| Beta-blockers, n (%) | 61 (26) | 34 (22) | 27 (32) | 0.095 |
| ACEI/ARB, n (%) | 104 (44) | 59 (39) | 45 (54) | 0.026 |
| Ca-channels blockers, n (%) | 59 (25) | 33 (22) | 26 (31) | 0.11 |
| Diuretics, n (%) | 39 (17) | 23 (27) | 16 (11) | 0.001 |
| Statins, n (%) | 206 (87) | 134 (88) | 72 (86) | 0.297 |
| Ezetimib, n (%) | 10 (4) | 8 (5) | 2 (2) | |
| ASA, n (%) | 27 (11) | 16 (11) | 11 (13) | 0.541 |
| Antiplatelet therapy other than ASA, n (%) | 212 (90) | 136 (90) | 76 (91) | 0.014 |
SCAF, subclinical atrial fibrillation; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range; 25th percentile and 75th percentile values; BMI, body mass index; HT, hypertension; CHF, congestive heart failure; DM, diabetes mellitus; DVT, deep venous embolism; PE, pulmonary embolism; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARB, angiotensin receptor blockers (angiotensin subtypes I and II: AT1 and AT2); PAC, atrial premature beat; LAVI, left atrial volume index.