Comparison of risk of atrial fibrillation in black versus white patients after coronary artery bypass grafting

Obesity has been identified as a risk factor for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, no studies have addressed the influence of race on this association. A total of 13,594 patients undergoing first-time, isolated CABG without preoperative AF between 1992 and 2011 were included in our study. The association between body mass index and POAF was compared by race. Relative risk and 95% CIs were computed using maximum likelihood log-binomial regression. Increasing levels of body mass index were associated with higher POAF risk after CABG in black but not white patients (p_interaction = 0.0009).