Table 1: Baseline patient characteristics

	Pioglitazone group (n=51)	Control group (n=99)	P-value
Age (years)	59.6 ± 1.4	58.7 ± 0.9	0.575
BMI (kg/m2)	23.3 ± 0.3	23.1 ± 0.2	0.657
Male (sex)	27(52.9)	45(45.5)	0.385
Duration of AF (months)	43.6 ± 1.5	40.5 ± 1.1	0.255
CAD	3(5.9)	5(5.1)	0.490
VHD	2(3.9)	4(4.0)	1.000
Cardiomyopathy	1(2.0)	1(1.0)	1.000
Hypertension	32(62.7)	72(72.7)	0.232
Smoking	22(43.1)	39(39.4)	0.839
LAD (mm)	43.9 ± 0.7	43.7 ± 0.4	0.834
LVEF	0.56 ± 0.0	0.57 ± 0.0	0.601
Statins	7(13.7)	12(12.1)	0.780
ACEI/ARB	29(56.9)	45(45.5)	0.186
Amiodarone	19(37.3)	31(31.3)	0.465
Sotalol	2(3.9)	2(2.0)	0.605
Beta-blocker	18(35.3)	37(37.4)	0.802
CCB	18(35.3)	28(28.3)	0.378
Propafenone	12(23.5)	16(16.2)	0.273
FPG (mmol/L)	6.6 ± 0.2	6.8 ± 0.1	0.260
FPG (follow-up) (mmol/L)	6.2 ± 0.1	6.2 ± 0.1	0.928
HbA1C (%)	6.2 ± 0.1	6.4 ± 0.1	0.225
HbA1C (follow-up) (%)	6.2 ± 0.1	6.3 ± 0.1	0.331
hsCRP (mg/L)	2.1 ± 0.2	2.5 ± 0.2	0.074
Sulfonylurea	25(49.0)	61(61.6)	0.140
Biguainde	18(35.3)	23(23.2)	0.116
a-GI	10(19.6)	15(15.2)	0.488
Insulin	2(3.9)	2(2.0)	0.605
FMD(%)	4.2 ± 0.1	4.0 ± 0.1	0.088
NMD(%)	22.2 ± 0.6	23.1 ± 0.4	0.173
EPCs (cells/105 events)	3.1 ± 0.1	3.3 ± 0.1	0.234
eNOS (pg/ml)	18.4 ± 0.4	18.7 ± 0.4	0.537

Values are reported as mean + SEM or n (%).
BMI: Body Mass Index, CAD, Coronary Artery Disease, VHD: Valvular Heart Disease, CCB: Calcium Channel Blocker, Including Amlodipine, Felodipine, Nifedipine, Diltiazem and Verapamil, FPG: Fasting Plasma Glucose, HbA1c: Haemoglobin A1c, a-GI: Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor, FMD: Flow Mediated Vasodilation, NDM: Nitrate Mediated Vasodilation, EPC: Endothelial Progenitor Cells, eNOS: Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase, FPG and HbA1c at follow-up: at 12 months after first ablation.