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Heart Failure in Women

Biykem Bozkurt1, Shaden Khalaf1

  • 1WINTERS CENTER FOR HEART FAILURE RESEARCH, CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, HOUSTON, TEXAS.

Methodist Debakey Cardiovascular Journal
|May 11, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure affects women significantly, often at older ages. While treatment guidelines are similar for men and women, women are underrepresented in clinical trials, necessitating further research.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Women's Health
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of illness and death in women, typically diagnosed at older ages than in men.
  • HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is more prevalent in women, constituting over half of all HF cases in this demographic.
  • Women with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) experience greater symptom burden and similar adverse outcomes compared to men.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of heart failure in women, focusing on epidemiological differences, clinical presentation, and treatment considerations.
  • To highlight the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials for heart failure.
  • To identify areas for future research into the specific mechanisms and targeted therapies for heart failure in women.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of epidemiological data and clinical trial participation.
  • Analysis of clinical characteristics and outcomes in women with heart failure.
  • Examination of current guideline-directed medical therapy recommendations for heart failure.

Main Results:

  • Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is more common in women.
  • Women with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction are more symptomatic but have similar outcomes to men.
  • Current guidelines do not differentiate treatment approaches based on sex, yet women remain underrepresented in clinical trials.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is crucial to understand the distinct pathophysiology of heart failure in women.
  • Investigating sex-specific mechanisms and developing targeted therapies are essential for improving outcomes.
  • Increased inclusion of women in clinical trials is necessary to ensure evidence-based, sex-specific treatment strategies.

Keywords:
femalegenderheart failuresexwomen

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