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  • Title: Atrial fibrillation as a contributing cause of death and Medicare hospitalization--United States, 1999.
    Author: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Journal: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep; 2003 Feb 21; 52(7):128, 130-1. PubMed ID: 12617537.
    Abstract:
    Stroke is the leading cause in the United States of serious long-term disability and the third leading cause of death. One of the major risk factors for stroke is atrial fibrillation (AF), a common cardiac disorder characterized by cardiac arrhythmia and the absence of coordinated contractions, which increases the risk for blood stasis, clot formation, and embolic stroke. AF affects approximately 2.2 million adults in the United States and is the most common sustained heart rhythm disturbance observed in clinical practice. The rate of AF increases with age, from < 1% among persons aged < 60 years to approximately 10% among persons aged > or = 80 years. The frequency with which AF is reported on death certificates as a contributing cause of death has increased since 1980. To assess the burden of AF-related deaths and hospitalizations among U.S. residents, CDC analyzed national and state multiple-cause mortality statistics and Medicare hospital claims for persons with AF in 1999 (the latest year for which data were available) for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings indicate that AF as a contributing cause of death and hospitalization affects primarily persons aged > or = 75 years and that death and hospitalization rates vary by state. Public and medical education are needed to prevent and reduce AF-related disability and death.
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