Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Minimum National Prevalence of Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation Inferred From California Acute Care Facilities
- Retrospective cohort study
- state-wide health care databases
- age-, sex- and race-standardized
Authors' conclusion
The prevalence of diagnosed AF in the United States is higher than previously estimated.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥20 years receiving hospital-based care in California, 2005–2019
- Participants
- 29,250,310 adults
- Outcome
- Age-, sex- and race-standardized national prevalence and number of adults with diagnosed AF in the US
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
National prevalence of diagnosed AF (standardized to US population)
Adults with diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) in the US (at least)
10.55 million (95% CI: 10.48-10.62 million)
Proportion of US adult population
4.48% (95% CI: 4.47%-4.49%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Diagnosed AF in the California cohort
- Patients with AF diagnosis
- 2,003,867 (6.8%)
- Proportion with diagnosed AF, 2005 to 2009
- 4.49%
- Proportion with diagnosed AF, 2015 to 2019
- 6.82%
AF patient characteristics over time
- AF patients became relatively younger, less likely female or White, more likely to have hypertension and diabetes
Original publication
Minimum National Prevalence of Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation Inferred From California Acute Care Facilities. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 11 September 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.07.014
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it