Saturday, May 05, 2007
atrial fibrilation
AF prevalence lower in poorest people
1 May 2007
MedWire News: Research highlighting the growing burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) suggests that the chronic arrhythmia is less common among patients with the poorest socioeconomic status.
The study authors say that this probably reflects poorer detection, prognosis, or both in more deprived individuals.
The study, carried out in Scotland, also reveals that women and older people – who are at high risk of stroke - often do not receive recommended AF therapies.
Noting a lack of information on the epidemiology, primary care burden, and treatment of AF in the community, John McMurray (Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK) and colleagues studied trends in AF prevalence, incidence, referrals, and treatment using cross-sectional data from primary care practices participating in the Scottish Continuous Morbidity Recording scheme between April 2001 and March 2002.
The study included a total of 362,155 patients, 3135 with AF, at 55 primary care practices.
The overall prevalence of AF was 8.7/1000 people and was higher in men than women, at 9.4/1000 versus 7.9/1000 (p<0.001), McMurray and team report in the journal Heart.
The prevalence increased with age, from 0.3/1000 in the <45-years age group to 30.5/1000 in the age range 65-74 years, and more than doubled to 70.7/1000 in those >85 years.
Age- and gender-standardized prevalence of AF decreased with increasing socioeconomic deprivation, from 9.2/1000 in the least deprived to 7.5/1000 in the most deprived category (p for trend=0.02). Deprived individuals had an 18% lower relative rate of AF.
Women and older individuals were less likely to be prescribed warfarin than men and younger individuals and older patients were less likely to be prescribed rate-controlling treatment with a calcium channel blocker of beta blocker.
The authors conclude: “AF is a common condition, more so in men than women. Deprived individuals are less likely to have AF, a finding raising concerns about socioeconomic gradients in detection and prognosis.”
In an accompanying editorial, Gregory Lip (City Hospital Birmingham, UK) and colleagues agreed that the low rate of AF in the lowest socioeconomic group could reflect a poorer rate of detection in this group.
“Indeed, the lowest socioeconomic group had the least contact with their general practitioner,” they noted.
Heart 2007; 93: 606-612
1 May 2007
MedWire News: Research highlighting the growing burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) suggests that the chronic arrhythmia is less common among patients with the poorest socioeconomic status.
The study authors say that this probably reflects poorer detection, prognosis, or both in more deprived individuals.
The study, carried out in Scotland, also reveals that women and older people – who are at high risk of stroke - often do not receive recommended AF therapies.
Noting a lack of information on the epidemiology, primary care burden, and treatment of AF in the community, John McMurray (Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK) and colleagues studied trends in AF prevalence, incidence, referrals, and treatment using cross-sectional data from primary care practices participating in the Scottish Continuous Morbidity Recording scheme between April 2001 and March 2002.
The study included a total of 362,155 patients, 3135 with AF, at 55 primary care practices.
The overall prevalence of AF was 8.7/1000 people and was higher in men than women, at 9.4/1000 versus 7.9/1000 (p<0.001), McMurray and team report in the journal Heart.
The prevalence increased with age, from 0.3/1000 in the <45-years age group to 30.5/1000 in the age range 65-74 years, and more than doubled to 70.7/1000 in those >85 years.
Age- and gender-standardized prevalence of AF decreased with increasing socioeconomic deprivation, from 9.2/1000 in the least deprived to 7.5/1000 in the most deprived category (p for trend=0.02). Deprived individuals had an 18% lower relative rate of AF.
Women and older individuals were less likely to be prescribed warfarin than men and younger individuals and older patients were less likely to be prescribed rate-controlling treatment with a calcium channel blocker of beta blocker.
The authors conclude: “AF is a common condition, more so in men than women. Deprived individuals are less likely to have AF, a finding raising concerns about socioeconomic gradients in detection and prognosis.”
In an accompanying editorial, Gregory Lip (City Hospital Birmingham, UK) and colleagues agreed that the low rate of AF in the lowest socioeconomic group could reflect a poorer rate of detection in this group.
“Indeed, the lowest socioeconomic group had the least contact with their general practitioner,” they noted.
Heart 2007; 93: 606-612
# posted by roodbont @ 12:50 PM 
