title: Racial disparities in hospitalizations, procedural treatments and mortality of patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore racial differences in characteristics, procedural treatments, and mortality of hospitalized atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Despite a higher burden of AF risk factors, Black individuals have a lower prevalence of AF than their White counterparts. There is suggestion that AF may go undetected in minority groups, and there may be disparities in both diagnosis and treatment of AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample was drawn from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Outcomes included AF hospitalization rate, in-hospital procedures performed, and in-hospital mortality within 6 defined sex-race subgroups: Black males, Black females, White males, White females, other males, and other females.
  
  
  RESULTS
  165,319 hospitalizations (41% White male, 41% White female, 4% Black male, 4% Black female, 5% other male, 5% other female) with a primary discharge diagnosis of AF were identified. Black males and females were significantly younger than White patients and had more traditional and non-traditional risk factors. Black males and females were significantly less likely to have an ablation procedure or cardioversion than White males. Black race was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (Odds Ratio [95% CI] of 1.90 [1.5, 2.5] for Black males and 1.38 [1.1, 1.8] for Black females).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a large, contemporary sample of inpatients, we found significant racial differences in baseline characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of patients hospitalized with AF. There appear to be important racial disparities in the care of minorities who are hospitalized with AF that require further investigation.
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naderi
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: JoAnne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foody
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data