Subgroup analysis
◦ Heart failure, atrial fibrillation, Heart failure, heart failure, 4Patients
HEART, PERSISTENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, PERMANENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, PERSISTENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, SECONDARY, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, HEART FAILURE, HEART FAILURE
The subgroup analyses will be performed for primary and secondary outcomes and all subgroup analyses will be regarded as hypothesis-generating only. These analyses will be tested for interactions using test of interaction (interaction between the treatment variable and the subgroup indicator) in STATA 17 [We will compare the following subgroups between the intervention arms:Patients with heart failure (including subtypes) compared to patients without heart failure [◦ Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction LVEF ≤ 40% or mildly reduced ejection fraction LVEF 41–49% (HFrEF and HFmrEF)◦ Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction LVEF ≥ 50% (HFpEF)Patients compared by their New York Heart Association (NYHA) class◦ NYHA class: I◦ NYHA class: II◦ NYHA class: III and IVPatients who are men compared to patients who are womenPatients compared based on their different durations of atrial fibrillation at randomization. The starting point of the duration of atrial fibrillation will be defined by when the patient was clinically diagnosed with persistent atrial fibrillation◦ Less than 1 year◦ 1 to 2 years◦ More than 2 yearsPatients who are 75 years of age or older compared to patients below 75 years of agePatients according to the modified European Heart Rhythm Association (mEHRA) symptoms score [◦ mEHRA score: 1, 2a, and 2b◦ mEHRA score: 3 and 4Patients having persistent atrial fibrillation compared to patients having permanent atrial fibrillation. Persistent atrial fibrillation defined as atrial fibrillation for more than 7 days and permanent atrial fibrillation defined as where only rate control is considered going forwardPatients achieving the target heart rate compared to patients not achieving the target heart rate