Statistical Analysis
Continuous variables were expressed as mean±standard deviation (SD) or
as a median with interquartile range (IQR), as appropriate. Student’st -test compared means of normally distributed continuous
variables, while Mann-Whitney U test was used for skewed
distributions. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and
percentages with outcomes compared using either χ2 or
Fisher’s Exact test, as appropriate. A p -value <0.05
was considered statistically significant.
Freedom from ATAs on/off AADs was calculated at each prospectively
defined follow-up timepoint. Composite endpoint survival (freedom from
first ATAs recurrence and death) was reported as a Kaplan-Meier estimate
and presented alongside the cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) for
both ATAs recurrence and
death.[26] The
probability of being both alive and free from any ATAs recurrence
(remaining in sinus rhythm for the study duration) was equivalent to the
probability of experiencing neither of the competing
risks.[27] Seventeen
clinically relevant variables were evaluated using univariable and
multivariable Fine-Gray regression to identify factors associated with
ATAs recurrence. Data analysis was performed using SAS Studio 3.8 on SAS
9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary NC, USA), SPSS version 25 (SPSS Inc.,
Chicago, IL, USA), and R 3.6.3 using the cmprsk package (The R
Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria).