Gender-related differences in elderly patients with myocardial infarction in a European Centre

Gender Differences in Heart Failure Hospitalization Post-Myocardial Infarction

Objectives:

Patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI) are more likely to die later from heart failure (HF), arrhythmic events, or reinfarction. According to recent studies, mortality rates were noticeably higher in women, than in men. This has been linked to variations in age, comorbidities, symptom presentation, and pathophysiology of the underlying coronary artery disease. There is little information on how these typical gender disparities affect post- MI survival. Studies on individuals with coronary artery disease have primarily focused on men, with women typically being left out of most series. Despite the relatively high prevalence of ischemic heart disease in women, there is a lack of information regarding the clinical course of the condition, its management, and clinical outcomes in this particular population due to the underrepresentation of women in the medical literature in this field. The gender disparities in post-MI patients who present with HF will be briefly discussed in this article.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 50 patients that presented with HF and had a previous history of MI were included in this study after taking consent. After taking history and detailed physical examination, investigations that were sent were reviewed and the subjects followed up in the hospital stay to look for outcomes. The data are compiled and subjected to statistical analysis.

Results:

It is observed that among the 50 subjects, 32% of them had recurrent HF (13 of the 30 females and three of the 20 males). p = 0.04 is statistically significant. Among the study subjects, the hospital outcomes observed showed that, out of 50 subjects, 47 subjects recovered and the other three died in hospital stay. All the three deaths are women. p = 0.15 is not statistically significant.

Conclusion:

This study concludes that women are more likely than males to require hospitalization for recurrent HF following a MI. This study also demonstrates that, despite the higher risk of recurrent HF, women do not have a higher mortality risk than males.

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes of Older Adults After Myocardial Infarction

Background Evidence on the impact of sex on prognoses after myocardial infarction (MI) among older adults is limited. We evaluated sex differences in long-term cardiovascular outcomes after MI in older adults. Methods and Results All patients with MI ≥70 years admitted to 20 Finnish hospitals during a 10-year period and discharged alive were studied retrospectively using a combination of national registries (n=31 578, 51% men, mean age 79). The primary outcome was combined major adverse cardiovascular event within 10-year follow-up. Sex differences in baseline features were equalized using inverse probability weighting adjustment. Women were older, with different comorbidity profiles and rarer ST-segment-elevation MI and revascularization, compared with men. Adenosine diphosphate inhibitors, anticoagulation, statins, and high-dose statins were more frequently used by men, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors and beta blockers by women. After balancing these differences by inverse probability weighting, the cumulative 10-year incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events was 67.7% in men, 62.0% in women (hazard ratio [HR], 1.17; CI, 1.13-1.21; P<0.0001). New MI (37.0% in men, 33.1% in women; HR, 1.16; P<0.0001), ischemic stroke (21.1% versus 19.5%; HR, 1.10; P=0.004), and cardiovascular death (56.0% versus 51.1%; HR, 1.18; P<0.0001) were more frequent in men during long-term follow-up after MI. Sex differences in major adverse cardiovascular events were similar in subgroups of revascularized and non-revascularized patients, and in patients 70 to 79 and ≥80 years. Conclusions Older men had higher long-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events after MI, compared with older women with similar baseline features and evidence-based medications. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for confounding factors when studying sex differences in cardiovascular outcomes.

Sex-Specific Plaque Signature: Uniqueness of Atherosclerosis in Women

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both men and women, although there are notable differences in presentation between men and women. Atherosclerosis remains the predominant driver of coronary heart disease in both sexes; however, sex differences in atherosclerosis should be investigated further to understand clinical manifestations between men and women.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are sex differences in the prevalence, progression, and prognostic impact of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, developing evidence demonstrates unique differences in atherosclerotic plaque characteristics between men and women on both noninvasive and invasive imaging modalities. Coronary microvascular dysfunction may be present even if no obstructive lesions are found. Most importantly, non-obstructive coronary artery disease is associated with a heightened risk of future adverse cardiovascular events and should not be ignored. The distinct plaque signature in women should be recognized, and optimal preventive strategies should be performed for both sexes.

Sex-gender disparities in nonagenarians with acute coronary syndrome

Background

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains one of the leading causes of mortality for women, increasing with age. There is an unmet need regarding this condition in a fast‐growing and predominantly female population, such as nonagenarians.

Hypothesis

Our aim is to compare sex‐based differences in ACS management and long‐term clinical outcomes between women and men in a cohort of nonagenarians.

Methods

We included consecutive nonagenarian patients with ACS admitted at four academic centers between 2005 and 2018. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of each center.

Results

A total of 680 nonagenarians were included (59% females). Of them, 373 (55%) patients presented with non‐ST‐segment elevation ACS and 307 (45%) with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Men presented a higher disease burden compared to women. Conversely, women were frailer with higher disability and severe cognitive impairment. In the STEMI group, women were less likely than men to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (60% vs. 45%; p = .01). Overall mortality rates were similar in both groups but PCI survival benefit at 1‐year was greater in women compared to their male counterparts (82% vs. 68%; p = .008), persisting after sensitivity analyses using propensity‐score matching (80% vs. 64%; p = .03).

Conclusion

Sex‐gender disparities have been observed in nonagenarians. Despite receiving less often invasive approaches, women showed better clinical outcomes. Our finding may help increase awareness and reduce the current gender gap in ACS management at any age.

Sex differences in long-term mortality among acute myocardial infarction patients: Results from the ISAR-RISK and ART studies

BACKGROUND

Mortality rates in females who survived acute myocardial infarction (AMI) exceed those in males. Differences between sexes in age, cardiovascular risk factors and revascularization therapy have been proposed as possible reasons.

OBJECTIVE

To select sets of female and male patients comparable in respect of relevant risk factors in order to compare the sex-specific risk in a systematic manner.

METHODS

Data of the ISAR-RISK and ART studies were investigated. Patients were enrolled between 1996 and 2005 and suffered from AMI within 4 weeks prior to enrolment. Patients of each sex were selected with 1:1 equivalent age, previous AMI history, sinus-rhythm presence, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and revascularization therapy. Survival times were compared between sex groups in the whole study cohort and in the matched cohort.

RESULTS

Of 3840 consecutive AMI survivors, 994 (25.9%) were females and 2846 (74.1%) were males. Females were older and suffered more frequently from hypertension and diabetes mellitus. In the whole cohort, females showed an increased mortality with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.54 compared to males (p<0.0001). The matched cohort comprised 802 patients of each sex and revealed a trend towards poorer survival in females (HR for female sex 1.14; p = 0.359). However, significant mortality differences with a higher risk in matched females was observed during the first year after AMI (HR = 1.61; p = 0.045) but not during the subsequent years.

CONCLUSION

Matched sub-groups of post-AMI patients showed a comparable long-term mortality. However, a female excess mortality remained during first year after AMI and cannot be explained by differences in age, cardiovascular risk factors, and modes of acute treatment. Other causal factors, including clinical as well as psychological and social aspects, need to be considered. Female post-AMI patients should be followed more actively particularly during the first year after AMI.