Difference in demographics and risk factors between patients with known AF and newly diagnosed AF
| Variable | All patients (n=1470) | Newly diagnosed AF (n=999) | Known AF (n=471) | P value |
| Age, (SD) | 76 (10) | 75 (10) | 77 (11) | 0.04 |
| Age (SD) in those with only one risk factor other than sex | 68 (8) | 67 (8) | 66 (7) | 0.501 |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 622 (42) | 404 (40) | 218 (46) | 0.034 |
| Known hypertension,n (%) | 915 (63) | 594/983 (60) | 321/465 (69) | 0.002 |
| Known diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 243/1469 (17) | 164/998 (16) | 79 (17) | 0.87 |
| Known hyperlipidaemia, n (%) | 649/1449 (45) | 421/986 (43) | 228/463 (49) | 0.019 |
| Current smoker, n(%) | 165/1425 (12) | 114/968 (12) | 51/461 (11) | 0.674 |
| Excessive alcohol, n(%) | 110/1365 (8) | 79/929 (9) | 31/436 (7) | 0.378 |
| Prestroke mRS, median (IQR) | 0 (0 to 0) | 0 (0 to 0) | 0 (0 to 1) | 0.002 |
| Dependant living n (%) | 97/1435 (7) | 58/974 (6) | 39/461 (8) | 0.076 |
| Previous ischaemic stroke n(%) | 141/1445 (10) | 94/977 (10) | 47/468 (10) | 0.801 |
| Previous ICH n(%) | 8/1450 (0.5) | 5/981 (0.5) | 3/469 (0.6) | 0.719 |
| Ischaemic heart disease n(%) | 241 (16) | 137 (14) | 104 (22) | <0.001 |
| Known dementia/cognitive impairment n(%) | 37/1463 (3) | 18/996 (2) | 19/467 (4) | 0.010 |
| Known peripheral vascular disease n (%) | 31/1445 (2) | 19/990 (2) | 12/464 (3) | 0.412 |
| Antiplatelets on admission, n (%) | 765/1455 (53) | 423/986 (43) | 342/469 (73) | <0.001 |
| Cerebral microbleeds, presence, n (%) | 308 (21) | 207 (21) | 101 (21) | 0.751 |
| Confluent white matter hyperintensities, presence, n (%) | 428 (29) | 281 (28) | 147 (31) | 0.225 |
| Cortical superficial siderosis, presence, n (%) | 5 (0.3) | 5 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0.183 |
| Prestroke CHA2DS2-VASc, median, (IQR) (available in 1374 patients) | 3 (2 to 4) | 3 (2 to 4) | 3 (2 to 4) | 0.001 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc score≥1 n (%) | 1306/1374 (95) | 877/927 (95) | 429/447(96) | 0.274 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc score reaching evidence for recommended oral anticoagulation (class 1a evidence), n (%) | 895/1374 (65) | 591/927 (64) | 304/447 (68) | 0.121 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc score reaching evidence for consideration of oral anticoagulation (class 2b evidence) n (%) | 1182/1374 (86) | 786/927 (85) | 396/447 (89) | 0.057 |
| Prestroke HAS-BLED median (IQR) (available in 1280 patients) | 3 (2 to 3) | 2 (2 to 3) | 3 (2 to 3) | 0.010 |
AF, atrial fibrillation; ICH, intracerebral haemorrhage; mRS, modified Rankin Scale.