Clin Cardiol. 2026 Feb;49(2):e70267. doi: 10.1002/clc.70267.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common and persistent type of arrhythmia that frequently co-exists with chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD), increasing the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. We aim to analyze chronic IHD-related mortality trends in patients with AF from 1999 to 2023 in the United States (U.S.).
METHODS: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database was used to conduct a retrospective analysis of death records of adults (aged 65 ≤) with chronic IHD as the underlying cause and co-existent AF as a contributing cause of death. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100 000 population and annual percent changes (APC) in age-adjusted mortality rates were determined and measured across different demographics and geographies in the U.S.
RESULTS: AF was recorded in almost 460,196 deaths caused by chronic IHD. The AAMR increased from 38.2 in 1999 to 52.2 in 2023, showing a prominent increase shift from 2010 to 2023 (APC: 2.72). Recorded AAMR in Males (54.8) was doubled that of females (33.2), while a top AAMR of 44.7 was seen in non-Hispanic (NH) Whites was doubled that of other racial/ethnic groups. Geographically, AAMR was higher in non-metropolitan areas (43.3) and the Northeast region (42.8).
CONCLUSIONS: Proper resource distribution and more targeted interventions are needed to address the rising trends in chronic IHD mortality among AF patients across different geographic and demographic groups.
PMID:41631684 | DOI:10.1002/clc.70267