Cardiology services after stress testing: are there sex differences? A population-based study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Services Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sex differences in invasive cardiac procedures are known, but data on physician encounters are limited.
• Understanding physician visit patterns is crucial for equitable cardiovascular care.
• Previous research highlights disparities in cardiac care for women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in cardiology visit utilization after stress testing.
• To determine if female sex is associated with fewer cardiology visits, especially in patients without coronary artery disease (CAD).
• To examine sex-based differences in preventive cardiology visits.

Main Methods:

• A population-based cohort study of Olmsted County residents undergoing stress tests between 1987-1989.
• Medical record review for baseline characteristics, CAD diagnosis, and cardiology visits within one year post-stress test.
• Regression models to assess the independent association of female sex with cardiology visit probability.

Main Results:

• No significant sex differences in inpatient or outpatient/consultative cardiology visits were observed.
• Women were significantly less likely to receive preventive cardiology visits (OR 0.77, P=0.02).
• This disparity was pronounced in older women with CAD and in women with positive stress tests but no documented CAD.

Conclusions:

• While overall cardiology visit rates were similar between sexes, women received fewer preventive cardiology visits post-stress test.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the reasons for and clinical implications of these sex-based differences in preventive care utilization.
• Addressing these disparities is essential for improving cardiovascular health outcomes for women.