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Racial differences in the incidence of and risk factors for atrial fibrillation in older adults: the cardiovascular health study.

TitleRacial differences in the incidence of and risk factors for atrial fibrillation in older adults: the cardiovascular health study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsJensen, PN, Thacker, EL, Dublin, S, Psaty, BM, Heckbert, SR
JournalJ Am Geriatr Soc
Volume61
Issue2
Pagination276-80
Date Published2013 Feb
ISSN1532-5415
KeywordsAged, Atrial Fibrillation, Continental Population Groups, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Male, Prevalence, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Stroke, United States
Abstract<p>This study examined whether different associations between risk factors and atrial fibrillation (AF) according to race could explain the lower incidence of AF in blacks. Baseline risk factor information was obtained from interviews, clinical examinations, and echocardiography in 4,774 white and 911 black Cardiovascular Health Study participants aged 65 and older without a history of AF at baseline in 1989/90 or 1992/93. Incident AF was determined according to hospital discharge diagnosis or annual study electrocardiogram. Cox regression was used to assess associations between risk factors and race and incident AF. During a mean 11.2 years of follow-up, 1,403 whites and 182 blacks had incident AF. Associations between all examined risk factors were similar in both races, except left ventricular posterior wall thickness, which was more strongly associated with AF in blacks (per 0.2 cm, blacks: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.44-2.06; whites: HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.18-1.43). Overall, the relative risk of AF was 25% lower in blacks than whites after adjustment for age and sex (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.64-0.87) and 45% lower after adjustment for all considered risk factors (HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35-0.88). Different associations of the considered risk factors and incident AF by race do not explain the lower incidence of AF in blacks.</p>
DOI10.1111/jgs.12085
Alternate JournalJ Am Geriatr Soc
PubMed ID23320758
PubMed Central IDPMC3878638
Grant ListT32 HL007902 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
K23 AG028954 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085081 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG015928 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K23AG028954 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC075150 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL068986 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268200800007C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC015103 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085083 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R56 AG020098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085085 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
AG-20098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55222 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85086 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
AG-027058 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085082 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085080 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC-55222 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201200036C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL102214 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-75150 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085084 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG020098 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01HC75150 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85239 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
AG-023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85079 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG027058 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC045133 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC035129 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R56 AG023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States