Whites More Likely to Experience Stroke Risk Factor

A recent study has found that atrial fibrillation, a stroke risk factor where the upper two chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating normally, is more likely to occur in whites than blacks. However, risk factors such as high blood pressure are more prevalent among blacks. The study, led by Dr. Kan Fang, looked at data on 110,333 white patients, 65,657 black patients and 20,114 patients whose race was not specified. Each of the nearly 200,000 study participants had made at least two clinical visits in 2007 to the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Of the black study participants, about 42 percent had high blood pressure, while about 29 percent of white participants had high blood pressure. About 17 percent of blacks involved in the study had diabetes, a risk factor for the heart arrhythmia, compared with about 12 percent of whites. Although both high blood pressure and diabetes were more prevalent among blacks, they still experienced a 50 percent lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation, with 1.2 percent of blacks and 2.5 percent of whites experiencing the arrhythmia.

Atrial fibrillation, which is one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias in the United States, is experienced by about 2.2 million people in the country. The heart arrhythmia is a risk factor for stroke because it creates an abnormal rhythm which causes the heart to beat less effectively. This decrease in the heart’s performance allows blood to pool and clot in the two upper chambers of the heart, known as the atria, increasing the risk of stroke. The risk of atrial fibrillation is higher in men and increases with age. High blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are also risk factors for the heart arrhythmia. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice in New York as a result of a delay in diagnosis or treatment, call or e-mail the malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. Our firm serves clients with Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Bronx stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice, Nassau stroke malpractice and Suffolk stroke malpractice cases. Call today for your FREE consultation.

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