This analysis involved electronic medical records for 135,840 adults (aged ≥20 years), including 19,918 Māori and 43,634 Pacific people, enrolled at 37 NZ general practices for AF diagnosis and associated medication prescription information. The overall prevalence of non‐valvular AF (NVAF) was 1.3% (n=1,769) and increased with age (4.4% in those aged ≥55 years). Māori aged ≥55 years were more likely to be diagnosed with NVAF (7.3%) than Pacific (4.0%) and non‐Māori/non‐Pacific people (4.1%; p<0.001). Māori and Pacific NVAF patients were diagnosed with AF 10 years earlier than non‐Māori/non‐Pacific patients (median age of diagnosis: Māori = 60 years, Pacific = 61 years, non‐Māori/non‐Pacific = 71 years; p<0.001). Two-thirds (67%) of the NVAF cohort were at high risk of stroke (CHA2DS2‐VASc ≥2) at the time of AF diagnosis. Among patients aged <65 years, almost half (48%) of Māori and Pacific NVAF patients were at high risk for stroke, over double the rate (22%) for non‐Māori/non‐Pacific (p<0.001). Irrespective of ethnic group, adherence to AF medication was suboptimal in those NVAF patients with a high risk of stroke or with stroke history.
