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Atrial fibrillation in immigrant groups : a cohort study of all adults 45 years of age and older in Sweden

Wändell, Per LU ; Carlsson, Axel C. ; Li, Xinjun LU ; Gasevic, Danijela ; Ärnlöv, Johan ; Holzmann, Martin J ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2017) In European Journal of Epidemiology 32(9). p.785-796
Abstract

To study the association between country of birth and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in several immigrant groups in Sweden. The study population included all adults (n = 3,226,752) aged 45 years and older in Sweden. AF was defined as having at least one registered diagnosis of AF in the National Patient Register. The incidence of AF in different immigrant groups, using Swedish-born as referents, was assessed by Cox regression, expressed in hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). All models were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, geographical residence in Sweden, educational level, marital status, and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. Compared to their Swedish-born counterparts, higher incidence of AF [HR (95%... (More)

To study the association between country of birth and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in several immigrant groups in Sweden. The study population included all adults (n = 3,226,752) aged 45 years and older in Sweden. AF was defined as having at least one registered diagnosis of AF in the National Patient Register. The incidence of AF in different immigrant groups, using Swedish-born as referents, was assessed by Cox regression, expressed in hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). All models were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, geographical residence in Sweden, educational level, marital status, and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. Compared to their Swedish-born counterparts, higher incidence of AF [HR (95% CI)] was observed among men from Bosnia 1.74 (1.56–1.94) and Latvia 1.29 (1.09–1.54), and among women from Iraq 1.96 (1.67–2.31), Bosnia 1.88 (1.61–1.94), Finland 1.14 (1.11–1.17), Estonia 1.14 (1.05–1.24) and Germany 1.08 (1.03–1.14). Lower incidence of AF was noted among men (HRs ≤ 0.60) from Iceland, Southern Europe (especially Greece, Italy and Spain), Latin America (especially Chile), Africa, Asia (including Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Iran), and among women from Nordic countries (except Finland), Southern Europe, Western Europe (except Germany), Africa, North America, Latin America, Iran, Lebanon and other Asian countries (except Turkey and Iraq). In conclusion, we observed substantial differences in incidence of AF between immigrant groups and the Swedish-born population. A greater awareness of the increased risk of AF development in some immigrant groups may enable for a timely diagnosis, treatment and prevention of its debilitating complications, such as stroke.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Atrial fibrillation, First generation immigrants, Gender, Neighbourhood, Second generation immigrants, Socioeconomic status
in
European Journal of Epidemiology
volume
32
issue
9
pages
12 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:28702880
  • wos:000414156900006
  • scopus:85023204963
ISSN
0393-2990
DOI
10.1007/s10654-017-0283-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
da4bdc09-98b3-4349-b475-8f84f6defc24
date added to LUP
2017-08-02 15:47:59
date last changed
2024-01-28 23:04:59
@article{da4bdc09-98b3-4349-b475-8f84f6defc24,
  abstract     = {{<p>To study the association between country of birth and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in several immigrant groups in Sweden. The study population included all adults (n = 3,226,752) aged 45 years and older in Sweden. AF was defined as having at least one registered diagnosis of AF in the National Patient Register. The incidence of AF in different immigrant groups, using Swedish-born as referents, was assessed by Cox regression, expressed in hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). All models were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, geographical residence in Sweden, educational level, marital status, and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. Compared to their Swedish-born counterparts, higher incidence of AF [HR (95% CI)] was observed among men from Bosnia 1.74 (1.56–1.94) and Latvia 1.29 (1.09–1.54), and among women from Iraq 1.96 (1.67–2.31), Bosnia 1.88 (1.61–1.94), Finland 1.14 (1.11–1.17), Estonia 1.14 (1.05–1.24) and Germany 1.08 (1.03–1.14). Lower incidence of AF was noted among men (HRs ≤ 0.60) from Iceland, Southern Europe (especially Greece, Italy and Spain), Latin America (especially Chile), Africa, Asia (including Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Iran), and among women from Nordic countries (except Finland), Southern Europe, Western Europe (except Germany), Africa, North America, Latin America, Iran, Lebanon and other Asian countries (except Turkey and Iraq). In conclusion, we observed substantial differences in incidence of AF between immigrant groups and the Swedish-born population. A greater awareness of the increased risk of AF development in some immigrant groups may enable for a timely diagnosis, treatment and prevention of its debilitating complications, such as stroke.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wändell, Per and Carlsson, Axel C. and Li, Xinjun and Gasevic, Danijela and Ärnlöv, Johan and Holzmann, Martin J and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0393-2990}},
  keywords     = {{Atrial fibrillation; First generation immigrants; Gender; Neighbourhood; Second generation immigrants; Socioeconomic status}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{785--796}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{Atrial fibrillation in immigrant groups : a cohort study of all adults 45 years of age and older in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10654-017-0283-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10654-017-0283-6}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}