Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2007-07, Vol.50 (4), p.309-315
• Main Authors: Shen, Albert Yuh-Jer, MS, MD, FACC, Yao, Janis F., MS, Brar, Somjot S., MD, Jorgensen, Michael B., MD, FACC, Chen, Wansu, MS
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Asian People - statistics & numerical data; Atrial Fibrillation - ethnology; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American; Black People - statistics & numerical data; California - epidemiology; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Ethnicity - statistics & numerical data; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart; Hispanic or Latino - statistics & numerical data; Hospitalization; Humans; Hypertension - ethnology; Internal Medicine; International Normalized Ratio - statistics & numerical data; Intracranial Hemorrhages - blood; Intracranial Hemorrhages - ethnology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Racial Groups - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Stroke; Stroke - blood; Stroke - drug therapy; Stroke - ethnology; Warfarin - blood; Warfarin - therapeutic use; White People - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2007.01.098

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Albert Yuh-Jer Shen, Janis F. Yao, Somjot S. Brar, Michael B. Jorgensen, Wansu Chen Warfarin reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. It is unknown whether there are racial differences in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) risk among patients with atrial fibrillation. We studied 4 racial groups with atrial fibrillation and found that, despite comparable anticoagulation intensity, the rate of warfarin-related ICH was highest among Asians, followed by blacks and Hispanics, and lowest in whites. After adjusting for warfarin use and other established stroke risk factors, the risk for ICH among Asians was 4-fold that of whites, whereas blacks and Hispanics were at twice the risk.