Prevalence and Management of Atrial Fibrillation in the U.S. (2019-2023)
Author Information
Author(s): Oltman Connor G., Kim Taehyung P., Lee James W.Y., Lupu John D., Zhu Ruoqing, Moussa Issam D.
Primary Institution: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Hypothesis
What is the current prevalence and management of atrial fibrillation in the United States?
Conclusion
The study highlights a significant prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the U.S., particularly among older adults and certain demographic groups, with many patients not receiving necessary anticoagulation treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- The overall prevalence of atrial fibrillation was found to be 3.89%.
- 30% of individuals with atrial fibrillation did not receive anticoagulant medication.
- Rural areas reported a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (5.29%) compared to urban areas (3.66%).
- Patients aged 90 and older had a prevalence of 24.58%.
Takeaway
A lot of people in the U.S. have a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, especially older folks, and many of them aren't getting the medicine they need to stay safe.
Methodology
This was a retrospective cohort study using data from Epic’s Cosmos platform, analyzing over 259 million patient records.
Potential Biases
The study may be biased towards data from urban or suburban health facilities due to the predominance of Epic's EHR system.
Limitations
Potential data entry errors and inconsistencies in problem list usage may affect data accuracy; underrepresentation of smaller health care units and asymptomatic patients may limit findings.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 76 years; 55.43% were male and 83.05% were non-Hispanic White.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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