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Systolic dysfunction is a predictor of long term mortality in men but not in women with heart failure

Manuel Martínez-Sellés1, José A García Robles, Luis Prieto

  • 1Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. mmselles@navegalia.com

European Heart Journal
|November 14, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Gender differences in heart failure reveal women are older with more comorbidities. Survival is similar for women regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but men with severely reduced LVEF have worse outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of hospitalization.
  • Understanding gender-specific profiles and outcomes in HF is crucial for targeted treatment.
  • Previous studies suggest potential differences in HF presentation and prognosis between men and women.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate gender disparities in the clinical characteristics and survival rates of hospitalized heart failure patients.
  • To explore the relationship between gender, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1065 hospitalized heart failure patients with follow-up data.
  • Comparison of demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data between genders.
  • Survival analysis incorporating gender and LVEF as predictors.

Main Results:

  • Women were older, with higher rates of hypertension and diabetes, and lower rates of ischemic heart disease.
  • Women more frequently had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) across all age groups.
  • Survival rates were similar between genders when LVEF was considered; however, women with LVEF ≤0.3 had a better prognosis than men with similarly reduced LVEF.

Conclusions:

  • Gender influences the clinical profile of heart failure patients.
  • LVEF is a critical factor in HF prognosis, with a notable gender interaction.
  • Men with severely reduced LVEF face a worse prognosis compared to women with similar LVEF levels.
Abstract

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