Impact of traditional risk factors for the outcomes of atrial fibrillation across race and ethnicity and sex groups

Background: Although traditional risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) and its outcomes are established in whites, their role in the pathogenesis of AF across race-ethnicity and both sexes remain unclear. Cohort studies have consistently shown worse AF-related outcomes in these groups. The objective of this study was to determine the role played by race- and sex-specific risk factors in AF outcomes in non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls), and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). Methods: Using electronic health records (EHR), 3607 patients with an ICD-9 code for AF were identified over a 7-year period. Risk factors were identified from ICD to 9 CM claims data: hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the incidence of AF risk factors. Results: NHBs and H/Ls with AF experienced more stroke than NHWs (27% and 24% vs. 19% P < 0.01). Females had less HTN (48.4% vs 51.6% [males], P = 0.0002), CAD (47.4% vs 55.7% [males], P = 0.02), and smoking rates (38.2% vs 61.8% [males], P < 0.0001) but higher stroke rates (25.9% [female] vs 21.8% [males], P < 0.0001). Age-adjusted risk factors for stroke varied markedly across race-ethnicity and sex. Conclusions: We identified differences in risk factors for AF and stroke across race-ethnicity and sex. The findings of our study are hypothesis generating and should be used to direct future studies.