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Gender-related differences in hospitalized heart failure patients.
Eur J Heart Fail. 2013 Jul;15(7):734-41
Authors: Stein GY, Ben-Gal T, Kremer A, Bental T, Alon D, Korenfeld R, Yedidia I, Porter A, Abramson E, Sagie A, Fuchs S
Abstract
AIMS: The burden of heart failure (HF)-related hospitalization and mortality of female patients with HF is substantial. Currently, several gender-specific distinctions have been recognized amongst HF patients, but their relationships to outcomes have not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, in the current work, we aimed to explore gender-specific clinical and echocardiographic measures and to assess their potential impact on outcome.
METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied all consecutive HF patients, aged 50 or older, who had been hospitalized between January 2000 and December 2009, and had undergone at least one echocardiography study. A comparative analysis of clinical and echocardiographic findings was performed between 5228 males and 4107 females. Patients were followed for a mean of 2.8 ± 2.6 years. Females compared with males had less ischaemic heart disease, prior stroke, chronic renal failure, and COPD, and higher rates of hypertension, AF, obesity, valvular abnormalities, and pulmonary hypertension. Unadjusted 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were higher among women, while age-adjusted rates were similar. Predictors of outcomes varied between genders. Female-specific predictors of mortality included aortic stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, and malignancy, whereas diastolic dysfunction and chronic renal failure were found to be male-specific predictors.
CONCLUSIONS: Age-adjusted mortality rates of male and female hospitalized HF patients are similarly high. Predictors of mortality, however, are gender distinctive, and these measures may allow a better identification of high-risk HF patients.
PMID: 23419512 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]