Population characteristics
The main clinical characteristics of patients are shown in Table
1 . From January 2015 to October 2019, 38 athletes underwent first time
CA for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in our Institution and were
matched to 38 NA. Athletes and NA were mostly males (95%) with a mean
age of 48±13 years. Non-athletes had significant higher BMI than
athletes [respectively, 27.8 (26.3-29.8) kg/m2 vs.
24.2 (22.9-26) kg/m2, P < 0.0001] and
suffered more often from dyslipidemia (19% vs. 3%, P = 0.0247) and
hypertension (32% vs. 5%, P = 0.003) and therefore
CHA2DS2-VASc score was lower in athletes
(P = 0.0187). In NA AF was more often early-persistent (70% vs. 21%, P
= 0.076) than paroxysmal (27% vs. 76%, P < 0.0001) and they
were therefore more often in anticoagulant therapy (86% vs. 42%, P
< 0.0001) but less often in antiarrhythmic drugs (41% vs.
68%, P = 0.010). LA volume was significantly higher in NA (43±12 vs.
36±11ml/m2, P = 0.0295).
Distribution between type of sport is illustrated in Figure 1 .