Baseline characteristics of patients with pacemakers
| Characteristic | No. (%) of patients* n = 76 |
|---|---|
| Age, yr, mean ± SD | 63.4 ± 16.5 |
| Time since implant, yr, mean ± SD | 2.7 ± 3.2 |
| Sex, female | 28 (37) |
| Cardiovascular history | |
| Ischemic heart disease | 13 (17) |
| Nonischemic heart disease | 5 (7) |
| Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy | 1 (1) |
| Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | 0 |
| Atrial fibrillation or flutter | 28 (37) |
| Stroke or transient ischemic attack | 3 (4) |
| Valvular disease | 13 (17) |
| Primary electrical disease | 7 (9) |
| Medications | |
| ACE inhibitor/ARB | 17 (22) |
| Diuretic | 19 (25) |
| Antiarrhythmic | 4 (5) |
| Antiplatelet | 23 (30) |
| Nitrates | 2 (3) |
| Oral anticoagulant | 21 (28) |
| Statin | 22(29) |
| β-Blocker | 24 (32) |
| Calcium-channel blocker | 13 (17) |
| Digoxin | 4 (5) |
| Indication for pacemaker | |
| AV nodal disease | 24 (32) |
| Sinus node dysfunction | 29 (38) |
| Syncope | 19 (25) |
| Other | 4 (5) |
| Cardiac resynchronization therapy device | 1 (1) |
| No. of implanted leads (active and inactive) | |
| 1 | 11 (14) |
| 2 | 62 (82) |
| 3 | 3 (4) |
| 4 | 0 |
Note: ACE = angiotensin-converting enzyme, ARB = angiotensin II receptor blocker, AV = atrioventricular, SD = standard deviation.
↵* Except where indicated otherwise.