Figure 1 Sample definition

Figure 2 Kaplan-Meier curve of the time to first event (Composite outcome I: death/stroke/ TIA); only patients with a 36 months’ follow-up period were included (N=530/629)

Figure 3 Development of costs per observed patient year, separately for medication, hospitalization and outpatient costs

 

Dataset: AOK Plus

Dataset: TK

Combined datasets

Ablation group

Medication group

Ablation group

Medication group

Ablation group

Medication group

Number of all identified patients

905

638

3,335

1,960

4,240

2,598

Number of patients after propensity score matching (PSM)

150

150

1,052

1,052

1,202

1,202

observable for at least 24 months

92  

111  

864  

876  

956

987

observable for at least 36 months

32

65

498  

564  

530

629

Average observational period (days)

818.47  

936.93

952.23

962.96

935.54

959.71

Mean age in years (1)

67.81  

67.57  

63.60

64.61

64.12

64.98

Gender,n(%)Male

Female

71 (47.33%)

79 (52.67%)

78 (52.0%)

72 (48.0%)

664 (63.12%)

388 (36.88%)

693 (65.87%)

359 (34.13%)

735 (61.15%)

467 (38.85%)

771 (64.14%)

431 (35.86%)

Table 1: Descriptive characteristics of included AF patients
1 Based on index date (start of observation).

Objectives

Observation period1

Ablation group

Medication group

p-value2

Composite outcome I3

12 months (%)

13 (1.08%)

21 (1.75%)

0.226

24 months (%)

26 (2.72%)

39 (3.95%)

0.165

36 months (%)

19 (3.58%)

39 (6.20%)

0.043

Death

12 months (%)

7 (0.58%)

16 (1.33%)

0.092

24 months (%)

14 (1.46%)

31 (3.14%)

0.015

36 months (%)

9 (1.70%)

30 (4.77%)

0.005

Stroke

12 months (%)

4 (0.33%)

4 (0.33%)

1

24 months (%)

8 (0.84%)

7 (0.71%)

0.800

36 months (%)

9 (1.70%)

10 (1.59%)

1

TIA

12 months (%)

2 (0.17%)

1 (0.08%)

1

24 months (%)

4 (0.42%)

1 (0.10%)

0.211

36 months (%)

2 (0.38%)

1 (0.16%)

0.596

Myocardial infarction

12 months (%)

28 (2.33%)

21 (1.75%)

0.387

24 months (%)

32 (3.35%)

32 (3.24%)

0.900

36 months (%)

31 (5.85%)

27 (4.29%)

0.279

Arterial

embolism

12 months (%)

2 (0.17%)

4 (0.33%)

0.687

24 months (%)

5 (0.52%)

5 (0.51%)

1

36 months (%)

3 (0.57%)

7 (1.11%)

0.360

Pacemaker / ICD

12 months (%)

11 (0.92%)

15 (1.25%)

0.555

24 months (%)

13 (1.36%)

22 (2.23%)

0.389

36 months (%)

15 (2.83%)

22 (3.50%)

0.616

Syncope

12 months (%)

1 (0.08%)

5 (0.42%)

0.218

24 months (%)

4 (0.42%)

7 (0.71%)

0.548

36 months (%)

4 (0.75%)

11 (1.75%)

0.192

Cardiac

arrhythmia

12 months (%)

56 (4.66%)

32 (2.66%)

0.009

24 months (%)

63 (6.59%)

36 (3.65%)

0.003

36 months (%)

43 (8.11%)

37 (5.88%)

0.136

Composite outcome II4

12 months (%)

102 (8.49%)

82 (6.82%)

0.125

24 months (%)

118 (12.34%)

109 (11.04%)

0.373

36 months (%)

87 (16.42%)

113 (17.97%)

0.487

Cardiology costs5

Ø costs per patient in 12 months

€576.35

€718.56

0.045

Ø costs per patient in 24 months

€1,085.71

€1,403.63

0.051

Ø costs per patient in 36 months

€1,618.41

€2,462.15

0.007

Pneumonia

12 months (%)

6 (0.50%)

4 (0.33%)

0.753

24 months (%)

8 (0.84%)

8 (0.81%)

1

36 months (%)

7 (1.32%)

8 (1.27%)

1

Table 2: Observed event rates and costs
1 % in 12 months based on N=1,202/1,202;% in 24 months based on N=956/987; % in 36 months based on N=530/629
2p-value: Fisher’s exact Test/t-Test (costs); significant values are highlighted
3Composite Outcome I: death and/or occurrence of TIA and/or stroke
4Composite Outcome II: patient was affected byany of the secondary events (death/stroke/TIA/myocardial infarction/arterial embolism/pacemaker surgeries/syncope/cardiac arrhythmia)
5Cardiology-caused costs: inpatient costs with diagnoses referred to eventdefinition, medication costs with ATC-Codes C- and outpatient costs (only visits at cardiologist or neurologist)