Table 1.
Patients baseline characteristics, including differences between primary and satellite centers cohorts
| Patients baseline characteristics | All patients (n = 85) | Primary center (n = 49) | Satellite centers (n = 36) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male sex, no. (%) | 57 (67%) | 36 (73%) | 21 (58%) | 0.14 |
| Age, year | 70 [60–75] | 71 [65–76] | 66 [60–72] | 0.04 |
| Comorbidities, no. (%) | ||||
| Hypertension | 56 (66%) | 34 (69%) | 22 (61%) | 0.43 |
| Obesity – BMI > 30 | 30 (35%) | 20 (41%) | 10 (28%) | 0.21 |
| Sleep apnea | 18 (21%) | 11 (22%) | 7 (19%) | 0.74 |
| Diabetes | 15 (18%) | 10 (20%) | 5 (14%) | 0.44 |
| PM/ICD | 12 (14%) | 7 (14%) | 5 (14%) | 0.96 |
| Prior stroke/TIA | 4 (5%) | 4 (8%) | 0 (0%) | 0.13 |
| Structural heart disease, no. (%) | 33 (39%) | 23 (47%) | 10 (28%) | 0.07 |
| Ischemic cardiomyopathy | 18 (21%) | 14 (29%) | 4 (11%) | 0.05 |
| Dilated cardiomyopathy | 8 (9%) | 3 (6%) | 5 (14%) | 0.27 |
| Rhythmic cardiomyopathy | 4 (5%) | 3 (6%) | 1 (3%) | 0.63 |
| Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | 2 (2%) | 2 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 0.51 |
| Valvular disease | 1 (1%) | 1 (2%) | 0 (0%) | 1 |
| CHA2DS2‐VASc score | 2.5 [1–4] | 3 [2–4] | 2 [1–3] | 0.08 |
| LVEF, % | 50 [41–60] | 52 [41–60] | 50 [45–57] | 0.74 |
| LA vol (ml) | 165 ± 38 | 171 ± 40 | 159 ± 35 | 0.16 |
| Atrial fibrillation type, no. (%) | ||||
| Persistent | 60 (71%) | 36 (73%) | 24 (67%) | 0.50 |
| Long‐standing persistent | 25 (29%) | 13 (27%) | 12 (33%) | |
| AF history, year | 2.5 [1–4.5] | 3 [1–6] | 1 [1–4] | 0.05 |
| Arrhythmia max duration, mo | ||||
| All patients | 6 [3–12] | 6 [2–12] | 8 [5–12] | 0.17 |
| Long‐standing persistent patients | 12 [12–30] | 22 [12–36] | 12 [12–12] | 0.01 |
Note: Values are mean ± standard deviation, median [interquartile range], or no. (%).
Continuous data were compared between primary and satellite centers using a nonparametric Wilcoxon test or Welch t‐test, according to their distribution. Categorical data were compared using χ 2 or Fisher test. All analyses were conducted using R version 4.0.0 (www.r-project.org). A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; ICDs, implantable cardioverter defibrillators; LA, left atrium; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; PMs, pacemakers; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.