Outcomes of posterior wall isolation with pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies have shown that addition of posterior wall isolation (PWI) may reduce atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. No data on PWI in paroxysmal AF (pAF) patients with normal left atrial voltage is available, to date. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of PWI in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients presenting with pAF and normal left atrial voltage. METHODS: Consecutive patient registry analysis was performed on all patients with pAF and normal left atrial voltage undergoing initial radiofrequency ablation from November 1, 2018 to November 15, 2019. Primary endpoint was recurrence of atrial arrhythmia including AF, atrial tachycardia (AT), or atrial flutter (AFL). RESULTS: A total of 321 patients were studied, 214 in the PVI group and 107 in the PWI + PVI group. Recurrence of any atrial arrhythmia occurred in 18.2% of patients in the PVI group and 16.8% in the PVI + PWI cohort (p = 0.58). At 1 year, recurrence was 14.0% in the PVI group and 15.0% in the PWI + PVI group (p = 0.96). There was a lower AT/AFL recurrence in the PVI + PWI group, not reaching significance (3.7% in the PWI + PVI group vs. 7.9% in PVI group, p = 0.31). Need for carina lesions predicted recurrence in the PVI-only group. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of PWI to PVI in pAF patients undergoing their first ablation did not reduce the frequency of atrial arrhythmia recurrence. This warrants further study in a prospective trial.

Early repolarization pattern in an ethnically diverse population: Increased risk in Hispanics.

BACKGROUND: Early repolarization (ER) pattern on ECG is associated with an increased mortality in Caucasians. This study analyzed the association between ER pattern and all-cause mortality in a population of multiple ethnicities. METHODS: A total of 20 000 individuals were randomly selected and their ECGs were analyzed for ER pattern using the 2015 consensus: end-QRS notching or slurring with a J-point (Jp) ≥0.1 mV in contiguous inferior or lateral leads. Exclusion criteria were age <18, QRS duration of ≥120 ms, and acute myocardial infarction. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to assess crude survival, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine predictors of all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 17 901 patients with a mean age of 53 met inclusion criteria. Individuals were 62% female, 14% White, 37% Black, 40% Hispanic, and 9% other. Median follow-up time was 6.4 years. ER pattern was noted in 995 (5.6%) patients. Jp ≥2 mm was noted in 282 (1.6%) patients. In those with ER pattern and Jp ≥1 mm, there was no difference in mortality when compared to individuals without Jp elevation (odds ratio [OR]: 0.962, 95% confidence of interval [CI]: 0.819-1.131). Patients with Jp ≥2 mm had a significantly increased all-cause mortality (OR: 1.333, 95% CI: 1.009-1.742). This increased mortality was also significant in Hispanic patients with Jp ≥2 mm (OR: 1.584, 95% CI: 1.003-2.502). CONCLUSION: ER pattern with Jp ≥2 mm is associated with increased mortality in a multiethnic population, apparently driven by an increased risk in Hispanics.

The Prognostic Value of Early Repolarization with ST-Segment Elevation by Age and Gender in the Hispanic Population.

BACKGROUND: Early repolarization (ER), once thought to be a benign finding on electrocardiograph (ECG), has recently been associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. As there are limited data in the Hispanic population, we investigated possible associations between automated ECG ER readings and overall mortality, using the classic definition involving J-point elevation with ST segment elevation. METHODS: An ECG and electronic medical record (EMR) database from a regional medical center was interrogated. Inclusion criteria included Hispanic ethnicity and age over 18 from 2000 to 2011. A Cox model assessed the outcome of death. Varying morphological characteristics of ER were analyzed for high-risk features. RESULTS: There were n = 33,944 Hispanics of who n = 532 (1.6%) had ER with a mean follow-up period of 5.29 years. After adjustment for demographic, clinical, lifestyle, and laboratory variables, ER was not significantly related to all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-1.54, P = 0.23). However, mortality risk of ER varied by gender and age (P interaction = 0.007). The risk of ER for mortality was highest for females (HR: 2.01, CI: 1.39-3.10, P = 0.001), with the highest overall risk for women over the age of 75 (HR: 2.09, CI: 1.12-3.92, P = 0.021) compared to women under age 75 (HR: 1.72, CI: 0.95-3.11, P = 0.075). CONCLUSIONS: ER is not associated with an increased risk of death in the overall Hispanic population. However, our analysis suggests a higher risk of overall mortality in the elderly Hispanic female population with ER.

Validation of PR interval length as a criterion for development of atrial fibrillation in non-Hispanic whites, African Americans and Hispanics.

BACKGROUND: PR interval prolongation on electrocardiogram (ECG) increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Non-Hispanic Whites are at higher risk of AF compared to African Americans and Hispanics. However, it remains unknown if prolongation of the PR interval for the development of AF varies by race/ethnicity. Therefore, we determined whether race affects the PR interval length's ability to predict AF and if the commonly used criterion of 200 ms in AF prediction models can continue to be used for non-White cohorts. METHODS: This is a retrospective epidemiological study of consecutive inpatient and outpatients. An ECG database was initially interrogated. Patients were included if their initial ECG demonstrated sinus rhythm and had two or more electrocardiograms and declared a race and/or ethnicity as non-Hispanic White, African American or Hispanic. Development of AF was stratified by race/ethnicity along varying PR intervals. Cox models controlled for age, gender, race/ethnicity, systolic blood pressure, BMI, QRS, QTc, heart rate, murmur, treatment for hypertension, heart failure and use of AV nodal blocking agents to assess PR interval's predictive ability for development of AF. RESULTS: 50,870 patients met inclusion criteria of which 5,199 developed AF over 3.72 mean years of follow-up. When the PR interval was separated by quantile, prolongation of the PR interval to predict AF first became significant in Hispanic and African Americans at the 92.5th quantile of 196-201 ms (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.09-1.86, p=0.01; HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.07-1.64, p=0.01, respectively) then in non-Hispanic Whites at the 95th quantile at 203-212 ms (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.24-1.53, p=0.04). For those with a PR interval above 200 ms, African Americans had a lower risk than non-Hispanic Whites to develop AF (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.64-0.95, p=0.012), however, no significant difference was demonstrated in Hispanics. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to validate a PR interval value of 200 ms as a criterion in African Americans and Hispanics for the development of AF. However, a value of 200 ms may be less sensitive as a predictive measure for the development of AF in African Americans compared to non-Hispanic Whites.

Central retinal artery occlusion associated with patent foramen ovale: a case report and literature review.

Patent foramen ovale might cause cryptogenic strokes, including retinal artery occlusion. Herein, we describe a previously healthy young man who presented with central retinal artery occlusion in the setting of patent foramen ovale and explore the need for transesophageal echocardiogram for its diagnosis. Cardiovascular workup and neuroimaging were unremarkable. Transthoracic echocardiogram bubble study revealed a right to left atrial shunt and subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram disclosed patent foramen ovale. This congenital cardiac anomaly was the likely conduit for a thrombo-embolic central retinal artery occlusion. We identified seven patients with patent foramen ovale associated with central retinal artery occlusion in the literature. Transthoracic echocardiogram was diagnostic in only one patient (14.3%), whereas transesophageal echocardiogram was required to reveal patent foramen ovale in the remaining six (85.7%). Our case and the previous reports support the link between central retinal artery occlusion and patent foramen ovale. Therefore, providers should consider the more sensitive transesophageal echocardiogram during the initial evaluation of young patients without immediately identifiable causes of retinal artery occlusion.

Elevated Left Atrial Volume Index Predicts Incident Atrial Fibrillation After Typical Right Atrial Flutter Ablation.

PURPOSE: Incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is common after cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) dependent atrial flutter (AFL) ablation. Risk factors for the development of AF post ablation are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to identify patients undergoing CTI ablation for AFL most likely to develop AF. METHODS: Retrospective chart review identified 114 consecutive patients without a history of AF or prior cardiac surgery who underwent typical CTI dependent AFL ablation between December 2013 to November 2018, who also had a complete preoperative transthoracic echocardiogram, and at least 1 year of follow-up at our medical center. We evaluated baseline characteristics, electrophysiology study (EPS) data and echocardiographic data for incidence of AF within 3 years. RESULTS: Incident AF was identified in 46 patients (40%) during 600 + 405 days follow-up. Left atrial volume index (LAVI) was significantly greater in patients who developed AF compared to those that did not (37 ± 12.2 ml/m2 vs 30 ± 13.4 ml/m2, p=.004), with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve based on the LAVI of 0.7 (p = 0.004). Kaplan-Meier estimated incidence of AF was significantly greater in patients with LAVI ≥ 30 ml/m2 than LAVI < 30 ml/m2 (66% vs 27%, p=0.004). Risk of incident AF in patients with LAVI > 40 mL/m2 was similar to that of LAVI 30-40 ml/m2 (67% vs 63%, respectively, p=0.97). In multivariable analysis LAVI remained the sole independent predictor of incidence AF after CTI AFL ablation. CONCLUSIONS: LAVI ≥ 30 ml/m2 is associated with significantly increased risk of incident AF following CTI ablation for typical AFL. HATCH <2 was notably not an independent predictor of AF after AFL ablation.

Electrocardiographic Risk Stratification in COVID-19 Patients.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in worldwide morbidity at unprecedented scale. Troponin elevation is a frequent laboratory finding in hospitalized patients with the disease, and may reflect direct vascular injury or non-specific supply-demand imbalance. In this work, we assessed the correlation between different ranges of Troponin elevation, Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities, and mortality. Methods: We retrospectively studied 204 consecutive patients hospitalized at NYU Langone Health with COVID-19. Serial ECG tracings were evaluated in conjunction with laboratory data including Troponin. Mortality was analyzed in respect to the degree of Troponin elevation and the presence of ECG changes including ST elevation, ST depression or T wave inversion. Results: Mortality increased in parallel with increase in Troponin elevation groups and reached 60% when Troponin was >1 ng/ml. In patients with mild Troponin rise (0.05-1.00 ng/ml) the presence of ECG abnormality and particularly T wave inversions resulted in significantly greater mortality. Conclusion: ECG repolarization abnormalities may represent a marker of clinical severity in patients with mild elevation in Troponin values. This finding can be used to enhance risk stratification in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Determination of Sensitivity and Specificity of Electrocardiography for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in a Large, Diverse Patient Population.

BACKGROUND: Electrocardiography (ECG) is poorly sensitive, but highly specific for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy. However, previous studies documenting this were small and lacked patient diversity. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of patient characteristics on the sensitivity and specificity of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy. To address this issue, the present study was conducted to ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy in a large, diverse patient population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using ECG and echocardiography (ECHO) data from a large metropolitan health system. All patients had one ECG and ECHO on file, obtained within 1 week of each other. Sensitivity and specificity of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy were determined by comparing results from the MUSE® 12-SL (GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL) computer-generated algorithm for ECG to ECHO left ventricular mass index. Subgroup analyses of individual patient characteristics were performed with corresponding chi-squared analyses to determine significance. RESULTS: A total of 13,960 subjects were included in the study. The typical subject was 60 years of age or older, female, overweight, and hypertensive, and demonstrated low socioeconomic status. The sensitivity and specificity of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy in the overall cohort were 30.7% and 84.4%, respectively, with multiple patient characteristics influencing these results. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy in a large, diverse patient population with significant minority representation. Furthermore, although these statistical measures are influenced by patient characteristics, such differences are likely not clinically significant.

QT interval prolongation and torsade de pointes in patients with COVID-19 treated with hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin.

Background: There is no known effective therapy for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Initial reports suggesting the potential benefit of hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin (HY/AZ) have resulted in massive adoption of this combination worldwide. However, while the true efficacy of this regimen is unknown, initial reports have raised concerns about the potential risk of QT interval prolongation and induction of torsade de pointes (TdP). Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the change in corrected QT (QTc) interval and arrhythmic events in patients with COVID-19 treated with HY/AZ. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 251 patients from 2 centers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated with HY/AZ. We reviewed electrocardiographic tracings from baseline and until 3 days after the completion of therapy to determine the progression of QTc interval and the incidence of arrhythmia and mortality. Results: The QTc interval prolonged in parallel with increasing drug exposure and incompletely shortened after its completion. Extreme new QTc interval prolongation to >500 ms, a known marker of high risk of TdP, had developed in 23% of patients. One patient developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia suspected as TdP, requiring emergent cardioversion. Seven patients required premature termination of therapy. The baseline QTc interval of patients exhibiting extreme QTc interval prolongation was normal. Conclusion: The combination of HY/AZ significantly prolongs the QTc interval in patients with COVID-19. This prolongation may be responsible for life-threatening arrhythmia in the form of TdP. This risk mandates careful consideration of HY/AZ therapy in light of its unproven efficacy. Strict QTc interval monitoring should be performed if the regimen is given.

Relative contribution of modifiable risk factors for incident atrial fibrillation in Hispanics, African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites.

BACKGROUND: Contribution of modifiable risk factors for the risk of new onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in minority populations is poorly understood. Our objective was to compare the population attributable risk (PAR) of various risk factors for incident AF between Hispanic, African American and non-Hispanic Whites. METHODS: An ECG/EMR database was interrogated for individuals free of AF for development of subsequent AF from 2000 to 2013. Cox regression analysis controlled for age > 65, male gender, body mass index > 40 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure > 140 mm Hg, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, socioeconomic status less than the first percentile in New York State, and race/ethnicity. PAR was calculated as (prevalence of X) ∗ (HR - 1)/HR, where HR is the hazard ratio, and X is the risk factor. RESULTS: 47,722 persons free of AF (43% Hispanic, 37% Black and 20% White) were followed for subsequent incident AF. Hypertension in African Americans and Hispanics had a 7.93% and 7.66% greater PAR compared with non-Hispanics Whites. Similar findings existed for the presence of heart failure, with a higher PAR in non-Whites compared to Whites. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, modifiable risk factors play an important role in the risk of incident AF. Higher PAR estimates in African Americans and Hispanics were observed for elevated systolic blood pressure and heart failure. Identification of these modifiable risk factors for atrial fibrillation in non-White minorities may assist in targeting better prevention therapies and planning from a public health perspective. No funding sources were used for this study.

Atrial Fibrillation and the Weekend Effect Regarding Cardioversion, Length of Stay, Readmission, and Mortality.

BACKGROUND: The weekend effect is a phenomenon in which worse outcomes have been found to occur over the weekend. This has been investigated in the context of stroke, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism among others. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, and admissions for AF have been increasing. However, few studies exist investigating the existence of a weekend effect regarding AF. Previous studies have been limited by a pragmatic but unrealistic definition of the weekend starting at midnight on Friday and ending midnight on Sunday. In addition, the studies that exist have conflicting data regarding outcomes of mortality and length of stay (LOS). METHODS: Over a 5-year period, 3233 patients with a primary diagnosis of AF were admitted to an academic center. A retrospective analysis was performed to determine rates of cardioversion, 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality, LOS, and time to cardioversion among patients admitted over the weekend compared with those admitted during the work week. Weekend was defined as the 48-hour period, including Saturday and Sunday. RESULTS: Baseline demographics and common risk factors were found to be equivalent in weekend admissions compared with weekday admissions. These characteristics were found to be equivalent in those who underwent cardioversion and those who did not. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in odds of cardioversion, 30-day readmission, or 30-day mortality. Difference in mean LOS and mean time to cardioversion was not statistically significant between groups. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a weekend effect was not identified regarding AF in an academic hospital.

Relation of Body Mass Index to Development of Atrial Fibrillation in Hispanics, Blacks, and Non-Hispanic Whites.

No previous studies have examined the interaction between body mass index (BMI) and race/ethnicity with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We retrospectively followed 48,323 persons free of AF (43% Hispanic, 37% black, and 20% white; median age 60 years) for subsequent incident AF (ascertained from electrocardiograms). BMI categories included very severely underweight (BMI <15 kg/m2), severely underweight (BMI 15.1 to 15.9 kg/m2), underweight (BMI 16 to 18.4 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2), moderately obese (BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2), severely obese (BMI 35 to 39.9 kg/m2), and very severely obese (BMI >40 kg/m2). Cox regression analysis controlled for baseline covariates: heart failure, gender, age, treatment for hypertension, diabetes, PR length, systolic blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, socioeconomic status, use of ß blockers, calcium channel blockers, and digoxin. Over a follow-up of 13 years, 4,744 AF cases occurred. BMI in units of 10 was associated with the development of AF (adjusted hazard ratio 1.088, 95% confidence interval 1.048 to 1.130, p <0.01). When stratified by race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic whites compared with blacks and Hispanics had a higher risk of developing AF, noted in those whom BMI classes were overweight to severely obese. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that there exists a relation between obesity and race/ethnicity for the development of AF. Non-Hispanic whites had a higher risk of developing AF compared with blacks and Hispanics.

Socioeconomic status and the development of atrial fibrillation in Hispanics, African Americans and non-Hispanic whites.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite having a higher burden of traditional AF risk factors, African American and Hispanic minorities have a lower incidence of AF when compared to non-Hispanic whites, referred to as the "racial paradox." HYPOTHESIS: Lower SES among Hispanics and African Americans may help to explain the lower incidence rates of AF compared to non-Hispanic whites. METHODS: An electrocardiogram/electronic medical records database in New York State was interrogated for individuals free of AF for development of subsequent AF from 2000 to 2013. SES was assessed per zip code via a composite of 6 measures Z-scored to the New York State average. SES was reclassified into decile groups. Cox regression analysis controlling for all baseline differences was used to estimate the independent predictive ability of SES for AF. RESULTS: We identified 48 631 persons (43% Hispanic, 37% African Americans, and 20% non-Hispanic white; mean age 59 years; mean follow-up of 3.2 years) of which 4556 AF cases occurred. Hispanics and African Americans had lower AF risk than whites in all SES deciles (P < 0.001 by log-rank test). Higher SES was borderline associated with lower AF risk (hazard ratio: 0.990, 95% confidence interval: 0.980-1.001, P = 0.061). P trend analysis was not significant by any race/ethnic group by SES deciles for AF. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that non-Hispanic whites were at higher risk for AF compared to nonwhites, and this was independent of SES.

Socioeconomic Status as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients Admitted With Atrial Fibrillation.

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the association between SES and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is not clear. We examined whether SES predicts all-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with AF. This is a retrospective study of patients aged >18 years, admitted with a primary diagnosis of AF to Montefiore Medical Center between 2000 and 2010. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine predictors of survival adjusted for age, gender, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, previous myocardial infraction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and SES. SES was determined using the New York City Department of Health Standardized Score (a log composite score of household income, value of housing units, net rental income, household occupations, and educational level). The cohort was divided into quartiles based on SES score, with Q4 the highest and Q1 the lowest SES score. There were 4,503 patients identified with a mean follow up of 4.5 years in the following SES quartiles: Q1 (n = 1,132), Q2 (n = 1,119), Q3 (n = 1,126), and Q4 (n = 1,126). The unadjusted mortality varied across quartiles (Q1 to Q4), 54%, 58%, 56%, and 59%, respectively (p = 0.004). After controlling for other variables in the multivariable analysis, patients with the lowest SES (Q1) had a significantly higher mortality than patients in the quartile with the highest (Q4) SES (odds ratio 1.3, CI 1.1 to 1.5). In conclusion, patients admitted to the hospital with AF have varying mortality based on their SES. After controlling for co-morbidities, patients with AF and lower SES scores had higher mortality. Further research studies are warranted to study this risk of increased mortality in AF population.

Central retinal artery occlusion associated with patent foramen ovale: a case report and literature review / Oclusão da artéria central da retina associada ao forame oval patente: relato de caso e revisão de literatura

ABSTRACT Patent foramen ovale might cause cryptogenic strokes, including retinal artery occlusion. Herein, we describe a previously healthy young man who presented with central retinal artery occlusion in the setting of patent foramen ovale and explore the need for transesophageal echocardiogram for its diagnosis. Cardiovascular workup and neuroimaging were unremarkable. Transthoracic echocardiogram bubble study revealed a right to left atrial shunt and subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram disclosed patent foramen ovale. This congenital cardiac anomaly was the likely conduit for a thrombo-embolic central retinal artery occlusion. We identified seven patients with patent foramen ovale associated with central retinal artery occlusion in the literature. Transthoracic echocardiogram was diagnostic in only one patient (14.3%), whereas transesophageal echocardiogram was required to reveal patent foramen ovale in the remaining six (85.7%). Our case and the previous reports support the link between central retinal artery occlusion and patent foramen ovale. Therefore, providers should consider the more sensitive transesophageal echocardiogram during the initial evaluation of young patients without immediately identifiable causes of retinal artery occlusion.

RESUMO O forame oval patente pode estar associado a derrames criptogênicos que incluem a oclusão da artéria retiniana. Descrevemos aqui um jovem previamente saudável que apresentou oclusão da artéria central da retina associada ao forame oval patente, sendo considerado portanto, a necessidade de um ecocardiograma transesofágico para seu diagnóstico. A avaliação cardiovascular e a neuroimagem não foram significativas. O estudo da bolha no ecocardiograma transtorácico revelou um shunt atrial direito-esquerdo e o ecocardiograma transesofágico subsequente revelou um forame oval patente. Esta anomalia cardíaca congênita foi o provável conduíte para uma oclusão tromboembólica da artéria central retiniana Na literatura, foram identificadossete pacientes com forame oval patente associado à oclusão da artéria central retiniana. O ecocardiograma transtorácico diagnosticou apenas um paciente (14,3%), enquanto o ecocardiograma transesofágico foi necessário para revelar o forame oval patente nos seis casos restantes (85,7%). Nosso caso e relatos anteriores suportam a ligação entre a oclusão da artéria central retiniana e o forame oval patente. Os profissionais devem considerar, como sendo mais sensível, o ecocardiograma transesofágico na avaliação inicial de pacientes jovens sem causas imediatamente identificáveis de oclusões da artéria retiniana.

Validation of the Framingham Heart Study and CHARGE-AF Risk Scores for Atrial Fibrillation in Hispanics, African-Americans, and Non-Hispanic Whites.

A risk score for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been developed by the Framingham Heart Study and Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE)-AF consortium. However, validation of these risk scores in an inner-city population is uncertain. Thus, a validation model was built using the Framingham Risk Score for AF and CHARGE-AF covariates. An in and outpatient electrocardiographic database was interrogated from 2000 to 2013 for the development of AF. Patients were included if their age was >45 and <95 years, had <10-year follow-up, if their initial electrocardiogram was without AF, had ≥ 2 electrocardiograms, and declared a race and/or ethnicity as non-Hispanic white, African-American, or Hispanic. For the Framingham Heart Study, 49,599 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 4,860 developed AF. Discrimination analysis using area under the curve (AUC) for original risk equations: non-Hispanic white AUC = 0.712 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.694 to 0.731), African-American AUC = 0.733 (95% CI 0.716 to 0.751), and Hispanic AUC = 0.740 (95% CI 0.723 to 0.757). For the CHARGE-AF, 45,571 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 4,512 developed AF. Non-Hispanic white AUC = 0.673 (95% CI 0.652 to 0.694), African-American AUC = 0.706 (95% CI 0.685 to 0.727), and Hispanic AUC = 0.711 (95% CI 0.691 to 0.732). Calibration analysis showed qualitative similarities between cohorts. In conclusion, this is the first study to validate both the Framingham Heart Study and CHARGE-AF risk scores in both a Hispanic and African-American cohort. All models predicted AF well across all race and ethnic cohorts.