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 .