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. 2025 Jun 9;17(6):e85634.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.85634. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Admissions for Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population: Evaluation of Demographic Predictors of Mortality From the National Inpatient Sample

Youssef Jalloul  1 , Joseph El Roumi  2 , Hani Tamim  3 , Moied Al Sakan  4 , Shaker Eid  5 , Marwan Refaat  6
Affiliations

Admissions for Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population: Evaluation of Demographic Predictors of Mortality From the National Inpatient Sample

Youssef Jalloul et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia to affect elderly patients above 70 years of age and causes a significant burden. Multiple demographic factors have been linked to increased mortality in general in patients admitted with AF. The aim of our study is to delineate those factors in elderly patients admitted with atrial fibrillation in the United States. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to evaluate the mortality of patients aged more than 70 admitted with AF between 2005 and 2014. We looked at variables such as race, sex, hospital location, hospital teaching status, hospital bed size, and hospital region to elucidate the association, if present, between those variables and mortality in our patient population. Specific ICD-9-CM codes were used to identify the study patients and their outcomes. Our results showed that 2,163,343 elderly patients above 70 years of age were admitted between 2005 and 2014, inclusive, with a diagnosis of AF. In those aged greater than 70, there was an association between sex and mortality (1.37% of females died vs. 1.48% of males died, p=0.004). However, patients who were white had a lower mortality rate than other races (1.38% of white patients died) at a p-value <0.0001. There was no correlation between hospital bed size or hospital teaching status (teaching vs. non-teaching) and mortality, with a p-value of 0.31 and 0.57, respectively. However, hospital location (1.39% mortality in urban vs. 1.51% in rural hospitals) and hospital region (the least mortality rate 1.24%, was found in Midwest and the highest, 1.58%, was found in Northeast), were associated with mortality, with corresponding p-values of 0.022 and <0.0001 respectively. The results of our analysis signify the need for further advancement of the hospital and regional-based resources. These outcomes reflect the gaps in the uniformity of nationwide medical care that the United States aims to attain.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; elderly; hospital bed size; location; race; region; sex; teaching status.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Annual AF elderly patients discharges by year
AF - Atrial fibrillation
Figure 2
Figure 2. Case mortality rate of AF patients with age more than 70 according to sex and year
AF - atrial fibrillation
Figure 3
Figure 3. Annual AF mortality count by year and state region
AF - atrial fibrillation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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