TABLE 1.

Main study characteristics.

Trials	EAST-AFNET4 (2020)	AFFIRM substudy (2021)	Kim et al. (11)	Pope et al. (17)	RAFAS trial (2022)	Proietti et al. (12)	Chao et al. (14)
Study design	RCT	RCT substudy	Retrospective	Retrospective	RCT	Retrospective	Retrospective
Early rhythm vs. rate
No. of patients	1,395 vs. 1,394	1,269 vs. 1,657	9,246 vs. 7,077	6,595 vs. 37,606	178 vs. 95	2,056 vs. 1,722	62,649 vs. 238,415
Type of AF (%)
First episode	38.0 vs. 37.3	NR	NR	54.8 vs. 50.6	No	22.8 vs. 32.8	NR
Paroxysmal	36 vs. 35.4	NR	NR	25.5 vs. 32.5	52.8 vs. 50.5	38.8 vs. 43.1	NR
Persistent	26 vs. 27.3	NR	NR	19.7 vs. 16.7	47.2 vs. 49.5	38.5 vs. 24.2	NR
Mean age (SD) or median (IQR)	70.2 ± 8.4 vs. 70.4 ± 8.2	69 (61–75) vs. 72 (64–78)	69 (61–75) vs. 72 (64–78)	69 (61–75) vs. 72 (64–78)	67.0 (58.0–74.0) vs. 71.0 (63.0–78.0)	68.9 ± 8.9 vs. 70.1 ± 7. 8	69 (62–76) vs. 74 (66–79)
Men (%)	53.8 vs. 53.5	60.3 vs. 59.3	52.9 vs. 51.9	58.5 vs. 55	60.7 vs. 64.2	55.9 vs. 51.0	55.52 vs. 56.56
Hypertension (%)	88.3 vs. 87.5	72 vs. 70.5	84.3 vs. 64.1	75.2 vs. 76.5	65 vs. 74.5	70.1 vs. 65.4	64.01 vs. 67.08
Valvular disease (%)	43.8 vs. 46.1	NR	8.6 vs. 10.2	NR	NR	47.2 vs. 50.3	NR
HF (%)	28.4 vs. 28.8	NR	49 vs. 54.9	23.5 vs. 21.6	6.2 vs. 9.6	NR	24.79 vs. 22.79
CAD (%)	16.9 vs. 17.2	NR	NR	25.7 vs. 24.6	6.2 vs. 6.4	21.2 vs. 22.8	7.58 vs. 8.36
NOAC	91.2 vs. 81.7 (NOAC + VKA)	NR	26.7 vs. 22.5	36.9 vs. 26.5	89.3 vs. 89.5	42.8 vs. 43	3.56 vs. 4.67
VKA		84.4 vs. 94.1	79.1 vs. 83.1	33.9 vs. 38.7	4.5 vs. 4.3	43.6 vs. 39.9	11.7 vs. 13.35
years of follow-up	median 5.1 y	median 5.1 y	median 2.1 y	mean 2 y	mean1 y	mean 675.4 d	Estimated no less than 5 years

AF, atrial fibrillation; RCT, randomized controlled trials; NR, not report; HF, heart failure; CAD, Coronary artery disease; NOAC, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant. VKA, vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant; TIA, transient ischemic attack; IQR, interquartile range.