The prevalence of atrial fibrillation is greater among men than among women, but the absolute number of men and women with it is about equal. About 70 percent of people with atrial fibrillation are between 65 and 85 years old. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation. Studies show that black males have the highest rate of sudden cardiac death. They have a three- and a fourfold higher rate of sudden cardiac death than white females or white males, respectively.
Atherosclerosis is also a leading cause of many deaths from heart attack and stroke.
Up to 2,500 cases of Kawasaki disease are diagnosed yearly. Children older than 8 years are rarely affected. Mortality from Kawasaki disease is under 1 percent. 87 percent of cases are congestive or dilated cardiomyopathy. Recent studies show that 36 percent of young athletes who die suddenly have probable or definite hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.