Sex and Race/Ethnicity Differences in Atrial Fibrillation

[...]the American College of Cardiology’s Cardiovascular Disease in Women Committee sought to compare these findings in patients with AF to identify potential interventions that may help to rectify disparities of care. Whites have a higher incidence than blacks, and white men have a higher incidence than white women for all levels of risk factor burden, including smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, and diabetes (2,4). Registry data found women with AF were significantly less likely to receive oral anticoagulants at all stroke risk scores using the CHA2DS2-VASc algorithm (1 point for Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age >65 years, Diabetes, Female Sex, and Vascular disease, and 2 points for Stroke and Age >75 years) and less likely to receive oral anticoagulants than men (6). Compared with white men, women and certain ethnic groups with AF often experience longer lasting and more frequent symptomatic AF episodes, have worse quality of life, have more drug-related adverse events, have lower rates of anticoagulation, have less aggressive care in terms of rate versus rhythm management, and have a higher adjusted risk of death.