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Author Spotlight: Enhancing Coronary Artery Revascularization
Published on: September 15, 2023
Increased coronary artery disease severity in black women undergoing coronary bypass surgery
Jimmy T Efird1, Wesley T O'Neal, William F Griffin
1From the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (JTE, WFG, KYS, LCK, TBF, WRC, APK), East Carolina Heart Institute; Center for Health Disparities (JTE, HL), Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville; Department of Internal Medicine (WTO), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (EJA), Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina; Department of General Surgery (SWD), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia; and Department of Anesthesia (JBO), Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Insights
Black women undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) show more severe heart disease than white women. This disparity, linked to longer hospital stays, highlights a need for targeted preventive care in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Disparities
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Heart disease impacts vary by race and sex.
- Understanding these disparities is crucial for equitable patient care.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) outcomes can be influenced by demographic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between race, sex, and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing CABG.
- To analyze subsequent postoperative outcomes based on race and sex.
- To identify potential disparities in disease severity and treatment among different demographic groups.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 13,774 patients undergoing first-time, isolated CABG between 1992 and 2011.
- Used Cochran-Armitage trend test to analyze trends in the number of diseased vessels between Black and White patients, stratified by sex.
- Adjusted models for age, procedural status, and insurance type.
Main Results:
- Black female CABG patients exhibited a significantly increasing trend in the number of diseased vessels compared to white female patients (adjusted P(trend) = 0.0021).
- No similar trend was observed between Black and White male CABG patients (adjusted P(trend) = 0.18).
- Black female patients experienced longer intensive care unit and hospital stays post-CABG compared to other race-sex groups.
Conclusions:
- Black women undergoing CABG present with more advanced coronary artery disease than White women.
- This racial disparity in disease severity may contribute to poorer postoperative outcomes in Black women.
- Further research is warranted to develop targeted preventive strategies and optimize preoperative care for high-risk Black female patients.
Abstract:
Race and sex disparities are believed to play an important role in heart disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between race, sex, and number of diseased vessels at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and subsequent postoperative outcomes. The 13,774 patients undergoing first-time, isolated CABG between 1992 and 2011 were included. Trend in the number of diseased vessels between black and white patients, stratified by sex, were analyzed using a Cochran-Armitage trend test. Models were adjusted for age, procedural status (elective vs. nonelective), and payor type (private vs. nonprivate insurance). Black female CABG patients presented with an increasingly greater number of diseased vessels than white female CABG patients (adjusted P(trend) = 0.0021). A similar trend was not observed between black and white male CABG patients (adjusted P(trend) = 0.18). Black female CABG patients were also more likely to have longer intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay than other race-sex groups.Our findings suggest that black female CABG patients have more advanced coronary artery disease than white female CABG patients. Further research is needed to determine the benefit of targeted preventive care and preoperative workup for this high-risk group.
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