Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study population
|  | Total (n = 47,940) | Group 1 (n = 10,617) | Group 2 (n = 26,730) | Group 3 (n = 2903) | Group 4 (n = 7690) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhythm control and Lifestyle | ||||||
 Duration from AF diagnosis to rhythm control (days) | ||||||
 Mean ± SD | 25.5 ± 75.5 | – | – | 25.3 ± 74.4 | 25.6 ± 76.0 | 0.835 |
 Median (interquartile ranges) | 0 (0–8) | – | – | 0 (0–8) | 0 (0–8) | 0.051 |
  ≤ 1 year | 10,446 (21.79) | – | – | 2864 (98.66) | 7582 (98.6) |  < 0.001 |
  > 1 year | 147 (0.31) | – | – | 39 (1.34) | 108 (1.4) | |
Rhythm control treatment | ||||||
 Antiarrhythmic agents | 10,534 (22.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2879 (99.2) | 7655 (99.5) |  < 0.001 |
 Class Ic | 5589 (11.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1638 (56.4) | 3951 (51.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Class III | 6031 (12.6) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1512 (52.1) | 4519 (58.8) |  < 0.001 |
 Direct current cardioversion | 708 (1.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 201 (6.9) | 507 (6.6) |  < 0.001 |
 AF catheter ablation | 254 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 63 (2.2) | 191 (2.5) |  < 0.001 |
Unhealthy lifestyle behavior | ||||||
 Current smoker | 7090 (14.8) | 5237 (49.3) | 412 (1.5) | 1332 (45.9) | 109 (1.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Any drinker | 13,859 (28.9) | 8718 (82.1) | 2071 (7.8) | 2420 (83.4) | 650 (8.5) |  < 0.001 |
 Lack of regular exercise | 38,337 (80.0) | 9955 (93.8) | 20,116 (75.3) | 272 2(93.8) | 5544 (72.1) |  < 0.001 |
Healthy lifestyle behavior score | ||||||
 0 | 3344 (7.0) | 2676 (25.2) | 0 (0) | 668 (23.0) | 0 (0) |  < 0.001 |
 1 | 10,176 (21.2) | 7941 (74.8) | 0 (0) | 2235 (77.0) | 0 (0) | |
 2 | 28,902 (60.3) | 0 (0) | 22,599 (84.6) | 0 (0) | 6303 (82.0) | |
 3 | 5518 (11.5) | 0 (0) | 4131 (15.5) | 0 (0) | 1387 (18.0) | |
 Age (years), mean ± SD | 66.8 ± 10.5 | 62.0 ± 10.7 | 69.0 ± 9.9 | 61.0 ± 10.2 | 67.8 ± 9.6 |  < 0.001 |
  < 65 | 18,922 (39.5) | 6230 (58.7) | 8168 (30.6) | 1847 (63.6) | 2677 (34.8) |  < 0.001 |
 65 to < 75 | 17,832 (37.2) | 3159 (29.8) | 10,733 (40.2) | 790 (27.2) | 3150 (41.0) |  |
  ≥ 75 | 11,186 (23.3) | 1228 (11.6) | 7829 (29.3) | 266 (9.2) | 1863 (24.2) |  |
 Men | 29,652 (61.9) | 9693(91.3) | 13,047 (48.8) | 2703 (93.1) | 4209 (54.7) |  < 0.001 |
 CHA2DS2-VASc, mean ± SD | 4.6 ± 1.9 | 3.7 ± 1.6 | 5 ± 1.82 | 3.6 ± 1.5 | 4.9 ± 1.8 |  < 0.001 |
  ≥ 3 | 41,413 (86.4) | 7812 (73.6) | 24,436 (91.4) | 2142 (73.8) | 7023 (91.3) |  < 0.001 |
 CCI, mean ± SD | 4.5 ± 2.4 | 4.0 ± 2.3 | 4.7 ± 2.4 | 3.9 ± 2.2 | 4.7 ± 2.4 |  < 0.001 |
Duration of diabetes (years) | ||||||
 Mean ± SD | 5.6 ± 4.7 | 4.9 ± 4.5 | 5.8 ± 4.7 | 4.9 ± 4.6 | 5.9 ± 4.8 |  < 0.001 |
 Median (interquartile ranges) | 5.0 (1.0–9.5) | 3.9 (0.4–8.7) | 5.5 (1.2–9.7) | 3.8 (0.6–8.6) | 5.5 (1.2–10.1) |  < 0.001 |
 Hypertension | 44,169 (92.1) | 9599 (90.4) | 24,707 (92.4) | 2660 (91.6) | 7203 (93.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Dyslipidemia | 28,770 (60.0) | 5877 (55.4) | 16,182 (60.5) | 1695 (58.4) | 5016 (65.2) |  < 0.001 |
 Heart failure | 18,259 (38.1) | 3176 (29.9) | 10,237 (38.3) | 1104 (38.0) | 3742 (48.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Prior ischemic stroke | 15,807 (33.0) | 2641 (24.9) | 10,128 (37.9) | 599 (20.6) | 2439 (31.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Prior ICH | 799 (1.7) | 113 (1.1) | 481 (1.8) | 37 (1.3) | 168 (2.2) |  < 0.001 |
 Prior myocardial infarction | 7424 (15.5) | 1361 (12.8) | 4161 (15.6) | 447 (15.4) | 1455 (18.9) |  < 0.001 |
 Peripheral artery disease | 13,314 (27.8) | 2718 (25.6) | 7811 (29.2) | 678 (23.4) | 2107 (27.4) |  < 0.001 |
 COPD | 10,939 (22.8) | 1999 (18.8) | 6512 (24.4) | 549 (18.9) | 1879 (24.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Cancer | 3070 (6.4) | 440 (4.1) | 2055 (7.7) | 87 (3.0) | 488 (6.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Chronic liver disease | 9775 (20.4) | 2630 (24.8) | 5048 (18.9) | 673 (23.2) | 1424 (18.5) |  < 0.001 |
 Chronic kidney disease | 10,946 (22.8) | 1513 (14.3) | 6933 (25.9) | 403 (13.9) | 2097 (27.3) |  < 0.001 |
 Osteoporosis | 9039 (18.9) | 819 (7.7) | 6493 (24.3) | 177 (6.1) | 1550 (20.2) |  < 0.001 |
 Hyperthyroidism | 3944 (8.2) | 801 (7.5) | 2081 (7.8) | 265 (9.1) | 797 (10.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Hypothyroidism | 4558 (9.5) | 712 (6.7) | 2701 (10.1) | 236 (8.1) | 909 (11.8) |  < 0.001 |
 Sleep apnea | 144 (0.3) | 36 (0.3) | 58 (0.2) | 20 (0.7) | 30 (0.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Low income | 9275 (19.4) | 2168 (20.4) | 5143 (19.2) | 576 (19.8) | 1388 (18.1) |  < 0.001 |
Health examination | ||||||
Body mass index (kg/m2) | ||||||
 Mean ± SD | 25.0 ± 3.6 | 25.2 ± 3.5 | 24.9 ± 3.6 | 25.3 ± 3.4 | 25.1 ± 3.6 |  < 0.001 |
  ≥ 25 | 23,190 (48.4) | 5307 (50.0) | 12,689 (47.5) | 1487 (51.2) | 3707 (48.2) |  < 0.001 |
 Fasting glucose (mg/dL) | 134.4 ± 43.8 | 140.1 ± 45.8 | 133.1 ± 43.7 | 137.8 ± 43.6 | 129.6 ± 40.2 |  < 0.001 |
 SBP (mmHg) | 128.0 ± 16.2 | 127.6 ± 16.1 | 128.3 ± 16.3 | 127.2 ± 15.9 | 128.0 ± 16.3 |  < 0.001 |
 Estimated GFR (mL/min) | 77.2 ± 31.4 | 82.7 ± 34.1 | 75.4 ± 30.5 | 82.1 ± 30.3 | 73.7 ± 29.3 |  < 0.001 |
Medication | ||||||
 Oral anticoagulants | 23,129 (48.3) | 4536 (42.7) | 11,993 (44.9) | 1702 (58.6) | 4898 (63.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Warfarin | 7066 (14.7) | 1374 (12.9) | 3796 (14.2) | 523 (18.0) | 1373 (17.9) |  < 0.001 |
 DOAC | 16,063 (33.5) | 3162 (29.8) | 8197 (30.7) | 1179 (40.6) | 3525 (45.8) |  < 0.001 |
 Antiplatelet agent | 15,485 (32.3) | 3525 (33.2) | 8782 (32.9) | 915 (31.5) | 2263 (29.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Aspirin | 12,933 (27.0) | 3039 (28.6) | 7221 (27.0) | 797 (27.5) | 1876 (24.4) |  < 0.001 |
 P2Y12 inhibitor | 4869 (10.2) | 922 (8.7) | 2867 (10.7) | 260 (9.0) | 820 (10.7) |  < 0.001 |
 ACEi/ARB | 16,754 (35.0) | 3722 (35.1) | 9698 (36.3) | 910 (31.4) | 2424 (31.5) |  < 0.001 |
 Beta-blocker | 7712 (16.1) | 1600 (15.1) | 4295 (16.1) | 501 (17.3) | 1316 (17.1) |  < 0.001 |
 Non-DHP CCB | 2670 (5.6) | 580 (5.5) | 1414 (5.3) | 182 (6.3) | 494 (6.4) |  < 0.001 |
 DHP CCB | 10,365 (21.6) | 2304 (21.7) | 6212 (23.2) | 494 (17.0) | 1355 (17.6) |  < 0.001 |
 Diuretics | 11,697 (24.4) | 2272 (21.4) | 7129 (26.7) | 536 (18.5) | 1760 (22.9) |  < 0.001 |
 Digoxin | 3828 (8.0) | 859 (8.1) | 2481 (9.3) | 125 (4.3) | 363 (4.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Statin | 12,967 (27.1) | 2642 (24.9) | 7495 (28.0) | 712 (24.5) | 2118 (27.5) |  < 0.001 |
Diabetes medication | ||||||
 Metformin | 32,345 (67.5) | 6873 (64.74) | 18,318 (68.5) | 1875 (64.6) | 5279 (68.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Sulfonylurea | 22,708 (47.4) | 4795 (45.16) | 13,211 (49.4) | 1208 (41.6) | 3494 (45.4) |  < 0.001 |
 Meglitinide | 1239 (2.6) | 188 (1.77) | 787 (2.9) | 55 (1.9) | 209 (2.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor | 4903 (10.2) | 990 (9.32) | 2943 (11.0) | 224 (7.7) | 746 (9.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Thiazolidinediones | 3460 (7.2) | 798 (7.52) | 1954 (7.3) | 208 (7.2) | 500 (6.5) | 0.053 |
 DPP4 inhibitors | 14,905 (31.1) | 3174 (29.9) | 8221 (30.8) | 907 (31.2) | 2603 (33.9) |  < 0.001 |
 SGLT-2 inhibitors | 487 (1.0) | 120 (1.1) | 249 (0.9) | 40 (1.4) | 78 (1.0) | 0.070 |
 Glucagon-like peptide-1 | 16 (0.03) | 5 (0.05) | 7 (0.03) | 0 (0) | 4 (0.05) | 0.426 |
 Insulin | 15,272 (31.9) | 2614 (24.6) | 9027 (33.8) | 761 (26.2) | 2870 (37.3) |  < 0.001 |
Number of diabetes medications | ||||||
 Without any medication | 8227 (17.2) | 2416 (22.8) | 4053 (15.2) | 635 (21.9) | 1123 (14.6) |  < 0.001 |
 1 type | 10,035 (20.9) | 2003 (18.9) | 5660 (21.2) | 604 (20.8) | 1768 (23.0) | |
 2 types | 12,538 (26.2) | 2713 (25.6) | 7122 (26.6) | 745 (25.7) | 1958 (25.5) | |
  ≥ 3 types | 17,140 (35.8) | 3485 (32.8) | 9895 (37.0) | 919 (31.7) | 2841 (36.9) | |