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).