ICRE News

September 9, 2019

CEED Scholar Receives VA Funding for Study on Racial Disparities in Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and current CEED Scholar, recently received funding through the VA’s Competitive Career Development Fund for his proposal entitled “The Race, Ethnicity, and Anticoagulant CHoice in Atrial Fibrillation (REACH-AF).” In this 2-year pilot study, Dr. Essien will aim to explain why racial disparities in novel anticoagulant use have been observed in Veterans with atrial fibrillation.

In prior research, Dr. Essien has found that black individuals are less likely to receive direct-acting oral anticoagulants after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The underuse of anticoagulation in non-white patients with atrial fibrillation is well documented. Dr. Essien’s newly funded project will examine patient-, provider-, and system-level factors that may explain these disparities.

Congratulations to Dr. Essien!