Black Africans Less Apt to Develop Heart Rhythm Disorder Than Whites

This held true even though blacks had more risk factors for the condition than whites, study finds

THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) — Even though they have more risk factors, black Africans are about half as likely as white Europeans to develop a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, a new study says.

Atrial fibrillation, in which the top chambers of the heart flutter or quiver irregularly, sharply increases the risk of stroke and early death. Risk factors for atrial fibrillation include heart failure, diabetes, prior stroke and left ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the heart’s left ventricle).

The new study included 1,900 white European participants, as well as 89 Chinese, 105 Japanese and 73 black African subjects, all of whom had a pacemaker. After two and a half years of follow-up, the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation was 18 percent for white Europeans, 10.1 percent for Chinese participants, 8.5 percent for Japanese participants and 8.3 percent for black Africans.

The disparities remained even after the researchers adjusted for atrial fibrillation risk factors. Read more