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Lifetime HF risk may be lower for black men
Lifetime risks for HF are high in the general population — 20% to 45% — and appear to be lower for black men compared with white men, but similar for black and white women, according to study results.
Researchers estimated lifetime risk for HF by sex and race using cohort data from the NHLBI’s Chicago Heart Association (CHA) Detection Project in Industry, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) and Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cohorts.
Overall, 39,578 participants were included in the analysis, 85% of whom were white. During mean follow-up of 716,976 person-years, 5,983 participants developed HF.
In the CHA and CHS cohorts, at age 45 years, lifetime risks for HF through age 95 years were 20% to 29% in black men; 30% to 42% in white men; 24% to 46% in black women; and 32% to 39% in white women. In the ARIC cohort, lifetime risks for HF were similar for black and white men and women through age 75 years.
The difference in lifetime risk between black and white men may be due to competing risks, according to the researchers.
Higher BP and BMI at all ages were associated with increased lifetime risk for HF among both black and white participants. This trend did not weaken with advancing index age.
“Despite differences in birth cohort, age and diagnostic criteria, we find remarkably similar results between blacks and whites. Risk factors for increasing lifetime risks for HF in whites — such as obesity, BP and nonfatal MI — appear to increase the lifetime risks for HF in blacks in a similar fashion,” the researchers wrote.
They said lifetime risks for HF in the CHA, ARIC and CHS cohorts are higher than previous reports from the Framingham and Rotterdam cohorts.
There also were several study limitations, such as different HF definitions, entry criteria and index ages in the cohorts evaluated.
Disclosure: The study was supported by the NHLBI, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and National Institute on Aging. One researcher reports a financial relationship with Merck.