Gender Differences in Cardiogenic Shock Patients: Clinical Features, Risk Prediction, and Outcomes in a Hub Center

Temporary Mechanical Support in Cardiogenic Shock Secondary to Heart Failure: An Evolving Paradigm

Cardiogenic shock can be defined as a state of circulatory collapse resulting in hypoperfusion and end-organ dysfunction. It carries a large burden of mortality, but management strategies are driven by expert consensus rather than adequately powered randomized clinical trials. The goal of this review is to highlight the differences in presentation and outcomes in cardiogenic shock depending on the etiology, such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) versus acute-on-chronic heart failure (HF), gender-based differences in treatment strategies and outcomes and the need for more precise risk stratification and modeling to improve the efficiency of treatment delivery in a personalized fashion. PubMed and Google Scholar were used to search the literature for this qualitative review. The differences in gender and etiology of cardiogenic shock are not consistent in all studies in the exiting literature. There is a need for identification of novel risk factors that define the different phenotypes that present with similar hemodynamic and biomarker profiles. There is an urgent need to devise a methodology to understand and differentiate the different cardiogenic shock phenotypes and their trajectories. Better risk prediction models should be generated to help deliver well-tailored treatment, paving the way to the efficient delivery of personalized medicine.

Prognostic effect of sex according to shock severity in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

BACKGROUND

Sex disparities in cardiogenic shock (CS) treatment are controversial, and the prognostic implications of sex remain unclear in CS caused by acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic effect of sex according to the severity of CS in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI complicated by CS.

METHODS

We assessed 695 patients from 12 tertiary centers in South Korea who underwent PCI for AMI complicated by CS, and analyzed outcomes by sex (female [n = 184] vs. male [n = 511]). We compared a 12-month patient-oriented composite endpoint (POCE, defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, re-hospitalization due to heart failure, and repeat revascularization) between the sexes, respective of SCAI shock stage C&D or E. Propensity score-matched analysis was performed to reduce bias.

RESULTS

We found that the female group was older and had higher vasoactive-inotropic and IABP-SHOCK II scores than the male group, with findings consistent across SCAI shock stages. During the 12-month follow-up period, multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences in POCE (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.67-1.53, p = 0.963 for SCAI stage C&D, HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.84-1.84, p = 0.286 for SCAI stage E) between females and males. After propensity score matching, the incidence of POCE (HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.79-2.72, p = 0.220 for SCAI stage C&D, HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.49-1.57, p = 0.665 for SCAI stage E) was similar between sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex does not appear to influence the risk of 12-month POCE in patients treated with PCI for CS caused by AMI, irrespective of shock severity.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02985008. RESCUE (REtrospective and prospective observational Study to investigate Clinical oUtcomes and Efficacy of left ventricular assist device for Korean patients with cardiogenic shock), NCT02985008, Registered December 5, 2016 - retrospectively and prospectively.

IRB INFORMATION

This study was approved by the institutional review board of Samsung Medical Center (Reference number: 2016-03-130).

Predictors and Impact of Cardiogenic Shock in Oldest-Old ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the most frequent cause of in-hospital mortality after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Data about CS in very elderly (age ≥ 85 years) STEMI patients are scarce. We sought to assess the prognostic factors and the short- and mid-term impact of CS in this population. Methods: Consecutive very elderly STEMI patients undergoing invasive treatment were included in a retrospective multicenter registry. Results: Among 608 patients, 72 (11.8%) fulfilled experienced CS. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.29-3.92, p < 0.01) and cardiac arrest at presentation (OR: 4.36, 95% CI: 2.32-8.21, p < 0.01) were the major independent predictors of CS. Age (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.11, p < 0.001), PAD (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01-1.66, p = 0.045), previous MI (HR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.32-3.55, p = 0.002), and cardiac arrest at presentation (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.29-1.96, p < 0.001) were the major independent predictors of death. CS was associated with a higher risk of mortality at 30 days (adjusted HR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.19 to 7.78, p < 0.01) mostly driven by higher intraprocedural and in-hospital mortality. Among patients who survived the acute phase and hospitalization, CS at presentation was not associated with a higher mortality risk during the remaining follow-up period (log-rank p = 0.78). Conclusions: At short-term follow-up, very elderly STEMI patients presenting with CS had a higher risk of mortality when compared to non-CS patients. Interestingly, CS patients surviving the acute phase showed a similar survival rate to non-CS patients after discharge.

Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Takotsubo Syndrome: Sex-Related Differences

BACKGROUND

Sex-related differences in Takotsubo syndrome have been described, but no information is available in patients who develop cardiogenic shock.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Of 412 patients with Takotsubo syndrome with cardiogenic shock, 71 (17.2%) were men. Male patients were older (71.1±12.2 versus 65.3±17.1 years, P<0.001), more frequently smokers (47 [66.2%] versus 66 [19.4%], P<0.01), with higher prevalence of neoplasms (6 [8.5%] versus 8 [2.3%], P=0.01), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (31% versus 37%, P<0.001), more frequent invasive mechanical ventilation (30 [42.3%] versus 90 [26.4%], P=<0.01), higher rate of infections (43 [60.6%] versus 148 [43.4%], P=<0.01), and longer in-hospital stay (19±20 days versus 13±15 days, P=0.02). A total of 55 patients (13.3%) died during hospital admission, and 90 patients (21.8%) died at the end of the 5-year follow-up. Male sex was not significantly associated with the in-hospital (odds ratio, 1.31 [95% CI, 0.64-2.68]) or 5-year mortality rate (hazard ratio, 1.66 [95% CI, 0.93-2.94]). In the matched cohort, no significant differences in the short- and long-term mortality rate were found either.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiogenic shock due to Takotsubo syndrome has high short- and long-term mortality rates that are similar in men and women.

Sex-Related Differences in Outcome of Patients Treated With Microaxial Percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device for Cardiogenic Shock

BACKGROUND

The use of microaxial percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVADs) in cardiogenic shock (CS) has increased in recent years, despite limited evidence, and data on sex disparities are particularly scarce. This study aimed to compare short-term outcomes between males and females.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from the Dresden Impella Registry, which is a large, prospective, single-centre registry that consecutively enrolled patients who received microaxial pLVAD. Inclusion criteria were CS due to left ventricular failure with serum lactate >4 mM. Patients with pLVAD other than Impella CP were excluded. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality at 30 days or requirement of renal replacement therapy (RRT). Secondary endpoints were the components of the primary endpoint alone. Propensity score matched (PSM) analysis was used to adjust for baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 319 male (69 years; body mass index, 26.7 kg/m2) and 113 female patients (74 years; 27.9 kg/m2) were included in the study. The primary composite endpoint occurred less frequently in female patients in the unmatched analysis (♂ 75.9% [n=239] vs ♀ 64.4% [n=72]; p=0.040) but not in the PSM analysis (♂ 81.1% [n=73] vs ♀ 68.9% [n=42]; p=0.056). However, females less frequently required RRT in both analyses (♂ 48.2% [n=126] vs ♀ 25.9% [n=25]; p=0.001; PSM: ♂ 49.1% [n=36] vs ♀ 23.3% [n=12]; p=0.007). All-cause mortality did not differ between the cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed no differences in all-cause mortality at 30 days between male and female patients receiving microaxial pLVAD in CS. Larger studies are required to confirm whether female sex is associated with reduced requirement of RRT in CS treated with microaxial pLVAD.

Sex difference in outcomes and management of cardiogenic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Sex differences in the outcomes and management of cardiogenic shock are not well established. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the differences inik cardiogenic shock outcomes between males and females.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Studies were searched via the MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to December 2022.

RESULTS

The analysis included 24 studies comprising 1,567,660 patients. Compared to females, males with CS had a significantly lower risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0.88, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.85-0.90, p < 0.001) and 1-year mortality (RR 0.90, 95 % CI 0.89-0.92, p < 0.001). Males were more likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (RR 1.21, 95 % CI 1.13-1.31, p < 0.0001) and intra-aortic balloon pump placement (RR 1.21, 95 % CI 1.11-1.32, p < 0.0001), with no significant sex differences in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or Impella. During the index hospitalization, males were at higher risk of arrhythmias (RR 1.18, 95 % CI 1.05-1.34, p = 0.003) and less likely to develop acute kidney injury (RR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.79-0.94, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Men have a lower all-cause mortality risk in cardiogenic shock. Addressing disparities in management is crucial for improving CS outcomes, especially for women.

Sex differences in the presentation and outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: a critical review of contemporary data and a look towards future directions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a devasting complicating of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), associated with significant mortality. Prior studies have reported sex differences in the presentation, management and outcomes of patients with AMI and CS. These differences are likely due to a variety of factors influencing therapeutic decision-making and impacting survival. This review highlights the more contemporary studies exploring differences in women and men with AMI-CS, providing a critical perspective towards understanding the factors that might lead to these differences and outlining potential opportunities to reduce disparities in treatment and improve survival for women with AMI-CS.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent reports demonstrate that women with AMI-CS are older than men and have more cardiovascular comorbidities. When examining an unselected population of patients with AMI-CS, women receive less aggressive treatment compared to men and have poorer outcomes. However, when examining a selected population of patients with AMI-CS treated with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and/or admitted to centers that implement CS protocols to manage AMI-CS, these sex-based differences in outcomes are largely mitigated.

SUMMARY

Standardizing protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with AMI-CS, with an emphasis on early revascularization and appropriate invasive therapies, can improve outcomes in women and narrow the gender gap.

Sex differences in treatments and outcomes of patients with cardiogenic shock: a systematic review and epidemiological meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Women are at higher risk of mortality from many acute cardiovascular conditions, but studies have demonstrated differing findings regarding the mortality of cardiogenic shock in women and men. To examine differences in 30-day mortality and mechanical circulatory support use by sex in patients with cardiogenic shock.

MAIN BODY

Cochrane Central, PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched in April 2024. Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials or observational studies, included adult patients with cardiogenic shock, and reported at least one of the following outcomes by sex: raw mortality, adjusted mortality (odds ratio) or use of mechanical circulatory support. Out of 4448 studies identified, 81 met inclusion criteria, pooling a total of 656,754 women and 1,018,036 men. In the unadjusted analysis for female sex and combined in-hospital and 30-day mortality, women had higher odds of mortality (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-1.44, p < 0.001). Pooled unadjusted mortality was 35.9% in men and 40.8% in women (p < 0.001). When only studies reporting adjusted ORs were included, combined in-hospital/30-day mortality remained higher in women (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06-1.15, p < 0.001). These effects remained consistent across subgroups of acute myocardial infarction- and heart failure- related cardiogenic shock. Overall, women were less likely to receive mechanical support than men (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.57-0.79, p < 0.001); specifically, they were less likely to be treated with intra-aortic balloon pump (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.89, p < 0.001) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR = 0.84, 95% 0.71-0.99, p = 0.045). No significant difference was seen with use of percutaneous ventricular assist devices (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.51-1.33, p = 0.42).

CONCLUSION

Even when adjusted for confounders, mortality for cardiogenic shock in women is approximately 10% higher than men. This effect is seen in both acute myocardial infarction and heart failure cardiogenic shock. Women with cardiogenic shock are less likely to be treated with mechanical circulatory support than men. Clinicians should make immediate efforts to ensure the prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment of cardiogenic shock in women.

Impact of Female Sex on Cardiogenic Shock Outcomes: A Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Report

BACKGROUND

Studies reporting cardiogenic shock (CS) outcomes in women are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

The authors compared survival at discharge among women vs men with CS complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) and heart failure (HF-CS).

METHODS

The authors analyzed 5,083 CS patients in the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed with the use of baseline characteristics. Logistic regression was performed for log odds of survival.

RESULTS

Among 5,083 patients, 1,522 were women (30%), whose mean age was 61.8 ± 15.8 years. There were 30% women and 29.1% men with AMI-CS (P = 0.03). More women presented with de novo HF-CS compared with men (26.2% vs 19.3%; P < 0.001). Before PSM, differences in baseline characteristics and sex-specific outcomes were seen in the HF-CS cohort, with worse survival at discharge (69.9% vs 74.4%; P = 0.009) and a higher rate of maximum Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions stage E (26% vs 21%; P = 0.04) in women than in men. Women were less likely to receive pulmonary artery catheterization (52.9% vs 54.6%; P < 0.001), heart transplantation (6.5% vs 10.3%; P < 0.001), or left ventricular assist device implantation (7.8% vs 10%; P = 0.01). Regardless of CS etiology, women had more vascular complications (8.8% vs 5.7%; P < 0.001), bleeding (7.1% vs 5.2%; P = 0.01), and limb ischemia (6.8% vs 4.5%; P = 0.001). More vascular complications persisted in women after PSM (10.4% women vs 7.4% men; P = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with HF-CS had worse outcomes and more vascular complications than men with HF-CS. More studies are needed to identify barriers to advanced therapies, decrease complications, and improve outcomes of women with CS.

Does sex affect the risk of 30-day all-cause mortality in cardiogenic shock?

BACKGROUND

Mortality rates following CS have stagnated on an unacceptably high level. Limited data regarding the prognostic value of sex in patients suffering from CS is available. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prognostic value of sex in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS).

METHODS

Consecutive patients with CS of any cause were included from 2019 to 2021. Prognosis of females was compared to males regarding 30-day all-cause mortality. Further risk stratification was performed according to the presence or absence of CS related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional regression analyses were used for statistics.

RESULTS

From a total of 273 CS patients (AMI-CS: 49%; non-AMI-CS: 51%), 60% were males and 40% females. The risk of 30-day all-cause mortality did not differ among males and females (56% vs. 56%; log rank p = 0.775; HR = 1.046; 95% CI 0.756-1.447; p = 0.785). Even after multivariable adjustment, sex was not associated with prognosis in CS patients (HR = 1.057; 95% CI 0.713-1.564; p = 0.784). Comparable risks of short-term mortality in both sexes were observed irrespective of the presence of AMI-related CS (64.0% vs. 64.6%; log rank p = 0.642; HR = 1.103; 95% CI 0.710-1.713; p = 0.664) and non-AMI-related CS (46.2% vs. 49.2%; log rank p = 0.696; HR = 1.099; 95% CI 0.677-1.783; p = 0.704).

CONCLUSION

Sex was not associated with the risk of 30-day all-cause mortality in CS patients irrespective of CS etiology. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05575856).