Predictors of excess mortality after myocardial infarction in women

Research suggests that women have higher mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than men. Potential factors to explain this disparity include delay to presentation, less aggressive interventional strategies, and more severe disease at coronary angiography in women.

Consecutive patients (n=663) presenting to coronary care between Jan 2002 and Jan 2005 with ischemic type chest pain and AMI (troponin T >0.09ng/ml) were recruited. Details of the presentation and management were obtained from the medical notes. The primary endpoint was three month all cause mortality.

Of these patients 31% (205/663) were female. Mean age of women was 70 (SD 11) and 63 (SD 13) for men (p<0.001). There was no difference between the sexes for delay in presentation or treatment or for ST elevation infarction site. Women had prior hypertension more than men (49% 100/205 vs. 38% 174/458, p=0.008). Women were less likely to have diagnostic catheterisation (67% 137/205 vs. 80% 365/458 p<0.001). Both genders had similar coronary artery disease extent and frequencies of LV impairment (EF<45%) and were equally likely to undergo revascularisation (79% 108/137 vs. 81% 295/365 p=NS). There was an excess 3 month mortality among women (11% 23/205 vs. 5% 24/458 in men p=0.006). INDEPENDENT: predictors of 3 month mortality by logistic regression analysis were age (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03 -1.09, p<0.001) and LV impairment (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.13-0.56, p<0.001).

As LV impairment was comparable in men and women, the excess mortality identified is due to older age at presentation of women.