Comorbidities Increase Mortality Risk of Atrial Fibrillation In Blacks and Hispanics

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Mary Vaughan Sarrazin
Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Iowa Roy and Lucille Carver College of Medicine, and
Iowa City VA Medical Center, Center for Comprehensive Access & Delivery
Research and Evaluation (CADRE)
Iowa City, IA
Dr. Rajesh Kabra MD
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee

MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Atrial fibrillation is associated with high risk of stroke and death. It is not known if these outcomes are different in whites, blacks and Hispanics.

In our study of over 500,000 Medicare patients over the age of 65 years with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation, we noted that compared to whites, blacks and Hispanics had a higher risk of mortality (46% and 11% higher respectively) and stroke (66% and 21% respectively). However after correcting for other co-morbidities and illnesses, the risk of mortality was the same in all the races; the higher risk of stroke was decreased in blacks and eliminated in Hispanics. This suggests that in blacks and Hispanics, atrial fibrillation is a marker for higher mortality and identifies patients at higher risk of death.


MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: Blacks and Hispanics with atrial fibrillation are at much higher risk of stroke and death compared to the whites and need to be aggressively treated not only for atrial fibrillation but also for other associated co-morbidities.

MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Future studies need to address the factors that increase the risk of death and stroke in blacks and Hispanics with atrial fibrillation so that preventative measures can be taken to prevent these devastating outcomes.

Citation:

Effect of Race on Outcomes (Stroke and Death) in patients > 65 Years of Age with Atrial Fibrillation

Kabra, Rajesh et al.

American Journal of Cardiology , Volume 116 , Issue 2 , 230 – 235
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.04.012

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Dr. Mary Vaughan Sarrazin Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Iowa Roy and Lucille Carver College of Medicine, and, Iowa City VA Medical Center, Center for Comprehensive Access & Delivery, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) Iowa City, IA, Dr. Rajesh Kabra MD Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, & University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee (2015). Comorbidities Increase Mortality Risk of Atrial Fibrillation In Blacks and Hispanics 

Last Updated on June 23, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD