What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Acute myocardial infarction complicated by ventricular arrhythmias (n=902398). Intervention: Non-White race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, and other) vs. White race/ethnicity. Primary outcome: In-hospital mortality (Hispanic vs White) (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.28).

What does this research mean for the field?

Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in the management and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction complicated by ventricular arrhythmias, with minority patients receiving fewer procedural interventions such as PCI and CABG, and Hispanic patients experiencing higher in-hospital mortality compared to White patients. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

May 29, 2026Open Access

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Management and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Ventricular Arrhythmias

Key Result

Hispanic patients with AMI complicated by VAs had higher in-hospital mortality than White patients (aOR 1.21; CI 1.14-1.28), while Black patients had lower odds of receiving PCI (aOR 0.65).

Key Points

The study aims to understand racial and ethnic disparities in the management and outcomes of AMI with ventricular arrhythmias.
Conducted a retrospective analysis using the National Inpatient Sample data from 2002 to 2022.
Stratified hospitalizations by race/ethnicity: White, Black, Hispanic, and other groups.
Compared baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes across racial/ethnic groups.
78.2% of hospitalizations for AMI with VAs were among White patients, while Black (9.6%), Hispanic (6.3%), and other groups (5.9%) were fewer.
Hispanic patients (aOR 1.21; CI 1.14–1.28) and other racial/ethnic groups (aOR 1.31; CI 1.24–1.39) had higher odds of in-hospital mortality compared to White patients.
Black patients had lower odds of receiving PCI (aOR 0.65; CI 0.62–0.68), CABG (aOR 0.69; CI 0.64–0.74), and ICD insertion (aOR 0.84; CI 0.74–0.96).

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=902,398)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does non-White race/ethnicity impact in-hospital mortality and procedural utilization in patients with AMI complicated by VAs?

Population

902,398 hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) from 2002 to 2022. 78.2% White, 9.6% Black, 6.3% Hispanic, 5.9% other racial/ethnic groups.

Intervention

Non-White race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, and other racial/ethnic groups)

Comparator

White race/ethnicity

Outcome

In-hospital mortality and procedural utilization (PCI, CABG, ICD insertion)hard clinical

Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in the management and in-hospital mortality of patients with AMI complicated by ventricular arrhythmias, with minority groups receiving fewer procedures and some experiencing higher mortality.

Main Result

Effect estimate: aOR 1.21 (95% CI 1.14-1.28)

Abstract

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) represent a high-risk complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Racial and ethnic disparities in the management and in-hospital outcomes of AMI with VAs remain incompletely understood. Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we conducted a retrospective analysis of hospitalizations in which AMI was complicated by VAs from 2002 to 2022. Hospitalizations were stratified by race/ethnicity including White, Black, Hispanic, and other racial/ethnic groups. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared across groups. Results: We identified 902,398 hospitalizations in which AMI was complicated by VAs, of which 78.2% occurred among White, 9.6% among Black, 6.3% among Hispanic, and 5.9% among patients of other racial/ethnic groups. Compared with White patients, Hispanic (aOR 1.21; CI 1.14–1.28) and patients in other racial/ethnic groups (aOR 1.31; CI 1.24–1.39) had higher odds of in-hospital mortality while Black patients had similar odds. In terms of procedural utilization, Black (aOR 0.65; CI 0.62–0.68), Hispanic (aOR 0.82; CI 0.77–0.86), and other racial/ethnic groups (aOR 0.89; CI 0.85–0.94) all had lower odds of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) relative to White patients. Black patients also had lower odds of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (aOR 0.69; CI 0.64–0.74) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) insertion (aOR 0.84; CI 0.74–0.96) compared with White patients during admission. Conclusions: Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the prevalence, management, and in-hospital outcomes of AMI complicated by VAs. Further efforts are needed to address differences in care in this high-risk population.