Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients stratified by age

Female, n (%)

7707 (38.2)

2866 (28.7)

2740 (46.6)

2101 (48.6)

< 0.01

High school or above, n (%)

6137 (34.1)

3266 (36.4)

1643 (31.2)

1228 (33.0)

< 0.01

Health insurance, n (%)

 No insurance reimbursement

917 (4.7)

550 (5.8)

256 (4.5)

111 (2.6)

< 0.01

 Partial insurance reimbursement

16,670 (85.6)

8505 (89.1)

4875 (85.9)

3290 (77.3)

< 0.01

 Full insurance reimbursement

1886 (9.7)

487 (5.1)

546 (9.6)

853 (20.1)

< 0.01

BMI, n (%)

 Normal (< 24 kg/m²)

6310 (33.2)

2646 (27.7)

1918 (34.5)

1746 (44.7)

< 0.01

 Overweight (24–28 kg/m²)

8668 (45.6)

4559 (47.7)

2509 (45.1)

1600 (41.0)

< 0.01

 Obese (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m²)

4036 (21.2)

2344 (24.6)

1131 (20.4)

561 (14.4)

< 0.01

Smoking, n (%)

3170 (15.7)

2317 (23.2)

601 (10.2)

252 (5.8)

< 0.01

Drinking, n (%)

3881 (19.2)

2819 (28.3)

734 (12.5)

328 (7.6)

< 0.01

AF type, n (%)

 Newly diagnosed

1205 (6.0)

473 (4.8)

332 (5.7)

400 (9.3)

< 0.01

 Paroxysmal AF

11,692 (58.1)

6038 (60.7)

3465 (59.1)

2189 (50.8)

< 0.01

 Persistent AF

7229 (35.9)

3434 (34.5)

2071 (35.3)

1724 (40.0)

< 0.01

AF duration ≥ one year, n (%)

12,236 (60.7)

6015 (60.3)

3626 (61.7)

2595 (60.1)

0.14

EHRA score, n (%)

 I

1655 (9.3)

796 (8.9)

478 (9.2)

381 (10.0)

< 0.01

 II

11,520 (64.4)

5952 (66.9)

3265 (63.2)

2303 (60.4)

< 0.01

 III

4705 (26.3)

2154 (24.2)

1423 (27.6)

1128 (29.6)

< 0.01

Hypertension, n (%)

13,393 (66.4)

5587 (56.0)

4365 (74.3)

3441 (79.7)

< 0.01

Heart failure, n (%)

 NYHA I

3946 (53.8)

1945 (67.4)

1208 (53.9)

793 (36.0)

< 0.01

 NYHA II

2431 (33.2)

735 (25.5)

767 (34.2)

929 (42.1)

< 0.01

 NYHA III

957 (13.1)

206 (7.1)

267 (11.9)

484 (21.9)

< 0.01

Established CAD, n (%)

3020 (15.0)

937 (9.4)

1050 (17.9)

1033 (24.0)

< 0.01

Cardiomyopathy, n (%)

365 (1.8)

233 (2.3)

88 (1.5)

44 (1.0)

< 0.01

Ischemic stroke/TIA, n (%)

2884 (14.3)

914 (9.2)

982 (16.7)

988 (22.9)

< 0.01

Haemorrhagic stroke, n (%)

225 (1.1)

91 (0.9)

60 (1.0)

74 (1.7)

< 0.01

Diabetes mellitus, n (%)

4702 (23.3)

1909 (19.1)

1539 (26.2)

1254 (29.0)

< 0.01

Hyperlipidemia, n (%)

9785 (48.5)

5110 (51.2)

2816 (47.9)

1859 (43.0)

< 0.01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, n (%)

169 (0.8)

35 (0.4)

54 (0.9)

80 (1.9)

< 0.01

Gastrointestinal disorder, n (%)

633 (3.1)

299 (3.0)

189 (3.2)

145 (3.4)

0.48

Hyperthyroidism/Hypothyroidism, n (%)

994 (4.9)

448 (4.5)

323 (5.5)

223 (5.2)

0.01

Renal dysfunction, n (%)

566 (3.5)

85 (1.1)

137 (3.0)

344 (10.2)

< 0.01

CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2, n (%)

13,424 (75.4)

3790 (49.8)

5314 (90.5)

4320 (100.0)

< 0.01

Antiarrhythmic drugs, n (%)

7330 (36.3)

4454 (44.6)

1969 (33.5)

907 (21.0)

< 0.01

Ventricular rate control, n (%)

9575 (47.5)

4096 (41.1)

2951 (50.2)

2528 (58.5)

< 0.01

Warfarin, n (%)

9449 (46.8)

4762 (47.7)

2941 (50.1)

1746 (40.4)

< 0.01

DOACs, n (%)

3268 (16.2)

1975 (19.8)

867 (14.8)

426 (9.9)

< 0.01

Aspirin/ Clopidogrel, n (%)

4894 (24.3)

1879 (18.8)

1478 (25.2)

1537 (35.6)

< 0.01

ACEIs/ARBs, n (%)

6828 (33.9)

2690 (27.0)

2265 (38.6)

1873 (43.4)

< 0.01

Statin, n (%)

7461 (37.0)

2987 (29.9)

2522 (42.9)

1952 (45.2)

< 0.01

History of RFCA, n (%)

8801 (43.6)

5595 (56.1)

2355 (40.1)

851 (19.7)

< 0.01

Echocardiogram parameters

 LAD, mm, (SD)

40.4 ± 6.5

39.8 ± 6.3

40.5 ± 6.4

41.7 ± 7.0

< 0.01

 IVS, mm, (SD)

9.8 ± 1.7

9.7 ± 1.8

9.8 ± 1.7

9.9 ± 1.8

< 0.01

 LVEDD, mm, (SD)

48.3 ± 5.6

48.8 ± 5.5

47.8 ± 5.5

47.8 ± 5.9

< 0.01

 LVEF, %, (SD)

62.9 ± 8.3

62.7 ± 8.2

63.5 ± 8.2

62.6 ± 8.9

< 0.01