Statistical Analysis
Continuous variables were described with measures of central tendency
and dispersion (mean and standard deviation). Categorical variables were
described as frequencies. Continuous variables were evaluated byt -test, and categorical variables were compared withχ 2 or Fisher’s exact test. The cumulative
probability of survival free from atrial arrhythmia was displayed
according to the Kaplan–Meier method, with comparisons of cumulative
event rates by the log-rank test. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards
regression analysis was used to assess the impact of variables of
interest on the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia, adjusting for relevant
covariates known to influence the recurrence rate. Follow-up for all
patients was censored at one year after ablation. A p-value of
< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analyses
were performed using SPSS Statistics Software for Windows version 23.0
(IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York).