Statistical Analysis
Continuous variables, represented as mean ± standard deviation, were
compared using unpaired t-tests. Categorical data, expressed as
frequencies and percentages, were compared using chi-square tests. The
follow-up period was calculated from the date of registration to that of
the AF recurrence or censoring. AF-free survival rate was calculated
using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and log-rank statistics were used
for group comparisons.
All tests were 2-sided, and a p value <0.05 was considered
statistically significant. Statistical analyses were performed using
JMP11 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA).