Table 1 Baseline characteristics and univariate analysis

From: Non-invasive electromechanical assessment during atrial fibrillation identifies underlying atrial myopathy alterations with early prognostic value

Study variables on admission

Study population (N = 83)

Pharmacological cardioversion (n = 43)

N Non-Pharmacological cardioversion (n = 40)

p-value

Age (years)

55.8 ± 9.8

55.2 ± 11.0

56.3 ± 8.3

0.986

Sex male/female (n (%))

68/15 (81.9/18.1)

35/8 (81.4/18.6)

33/7 (82.5/17.5)

0.896

Clinical history

    Body mass index (kg/m2)

28.4 ± 7.9

26.4 ± 3.3

30.4 ± 10.4

0.001

    Lean body mass (Kg)

57.2 ± 7.9

56.0 ± 8.3

58.5 ± 7.2

0.140

    Hypertension (n (%))

30 (36.1)

12 (27.9)

18 (45.0)

0.105

    Dyslipidemia (n (%))

30 (36.1)

15 (34.9)

15 (37.5)

0.804

    Diabetes mellitus (n (%))

4 (4.8)

4 (9.3)

0 (0)

0.117

    Current smoking (n (%))

10 (12.1)

5 (11.6)

5 (12.5)

1.000

    Previous stroke or TIA (n (%))

6 (7.2)

2 (4.7)

4 (10.0)

0.422

    Persistent AF (n (%))

57 (68.7)

20 (46.5)

37 (92.5)

<0.001

    CHA2DS2-VASc (≥1 for ♂ / > 1 for ♀)

39 (47.0)

18 (41.9)

21 (52.5)

0.332

Baseline medication (n (%))

    β-blockers

58 (69.9)

29 (67.4)

29 (72.5)

0.616

    ACEis/ARBs/MRAs

17 (17.0)

7 (16.3)

10 (25.0)

0.325

    Statins

15 (18.1)

8 (18.6)

7 (17.5)

0.896

    Oral anticoagulation

45 (54.2)

18 (41.9)

27 (67.5)

0.019

Echocardiography parameters

    Left ventricular ejection fraction (%)

60.0 ± 4.8

60.4 ± 4.4

59.7 ± 5.2

0.499

    LA diameter; Parasternal long-axis (mm)

40.2 ± 4.2

38.3 ± 4.1

42.1 ± 3.4

<0.001

    RA area (cm2/m2)

9.9 ± 2.0

9.4 ± 2.0

10.4 ± 1.9

0.029

    3D LA volume index (ml/m2)

32.6 ± 8.6

30.6 ± 9.1

34.7 ± 7.6

0.034

    Mean peak flow velocity in LAA (cm/s)

35.0 ± 13.9

38.7 ± 14.3

29.9 ± 11.8

0.060

    LA mean TDI amplitude excursion (cm/s)

10.8 ± 3.9

11.0 ± 3.5

10.6 ± 4.3

0.699

    RA mean TDI amplitude excursion (cm/s)

11.6 ± 5.1

12.5 ± 4.4

10.8 ± 5.6

0.262

    LASr (%)

13.0 ± 6.6

15.3 ± 8.2

11.1 ± 4.1

0.016

    RASr (%)

13.1 ± 8.6

15.3 ± 10.5

11.3 ± 6.4

0.135

DF on surface ECG leads (Hz)

    Lead I

5.7 ± 1.4

5.3 ± 1.5

6.2 ± 1.3

0.009

    Lead II

6.2 ± 1.0

6.0 ± 0.9

6.5 ± 1.0

0.004

    Lead III

6.1 ± 0.9

5.8 ± 0.8

6.4 ± 1.0

0.007

    Lead aVR

5.8 ± 1.0

5.6 ± 0.9

6.0 ± 1.1

0.094

    Lead aVL

6.1 ± 1.2

5.8 ± 1.2

6.5 ± 1.1

0.028

    Lead aVF

6.1 ± 1.1

6.0 ± 1.0

6.3 ± 1.2

0.292

    Lead V1

6.7 ± 1.2

6.4 ± 1.3

7.1 ± 0.9

0.022

    Lead V2

6.5 ± 1.2

6.2 ± 1.2

6.9 ± 1.0

0.010

Serum biomarkers

    IL-6 (pg/ml)

2.9 ± 4.4

2.2 ± 2.2

3.8 ± 5.8

0.189

    IL-1β (pg/ml)

6.6 ± 14.5

7.5 ± 17.9

5.6 ± 10.2

0.115

    TNF-α (pg/ml)

24.4 ± 20.1

23.3 ± 20.6

25.6 ± 19.8

0.357

    Galectin-3 (ng/ml)

1.4 ± 1.2

1.2 ± 0.6

1.6 ± 1.6

0.197

    High-sensitivity TroponinT (pg/ml)

9.7 ± 6.5

9.2 ± 6.6

10.4 ± 6.3

0.381

Electromechanical dissociation (Hz)

    EMD in TTE

0.2 ± 1.5

−0.7 ± 1.2

1.2 ± 1.2

<0.001

    EMD in TEE

0.7 ± 1.2

0.2 ± 1.0

1.1 ± 1.1

0.003

  1. Continuous variables are shown as mean ± standard deviation. Categorical variables are shown as n (%). For continuous variables, the unpaired two-sided Student’s t test was used to assess differences, after testing for normality with a Shapiro–Wilk’s test. Otherwise, the Wilcoxon’s rank sum test was used. For categorical variables, the Pearson’s chi–squared test was used to assess differences when the expected frequencies were higher than 5. Otherwise, the Fisher’s exact test was used. DF values from left precordial leads (V3–V6) were less reliable for estimation of atrial activation rates and were excluded from the analysis.
  2. AF atrial fibrillation, ACEis angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, ARBs angiotensin II receptor blockers, DF dominant frequency, EMD electromechanical dissociation, LA left atrium, LASr LA strain during reservoir phase, MRAs mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, RA right atrium, RASr RA strain during reservoir phase, TIA transient ischemic attack, TEE transesophageal echocardiography, TTE transthoracic echocardiography.
Back to article page