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Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Post-Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure in Closed-chest Coronary Occlusion/Reperfusion Model in Göttingen Minipigs and Landrace Pigs
Published on: April 17, 2021
Sex-Based Differences in Heart Failure: JACC Focus Seminar 7/7
Sadiya S Khan1, Lauren B Beach2, Clyde W Yancy3
1Department of Preventive Medicine; Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Sex-based disparities impact heart failure (HF) risk and treatment. Addressing these requires personalized prevention, equitable therapy implementation, and policy changes to improve research and community engagement for all patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sex and Gender in Medicine
Background:
- Sex-based differences in heart failure (HF) risk, symptoms, and management are established.
- Women exhibit a higher incidence of HF with preserved ejection fraction, potentially due to estrogen's cardiovascular effects and unique risk factors like adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight critical gaps in understanding gender-based differences in HF, distinct from sex-based differences.
- To emphasize the limited data on sex-specific and absent gender-specific efficacy of current HF therapies.
- To address the underrepresentation of women and gender minorities in clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on sex and gender differences in heart failure.
- Analysis of clinical trial data regarding participant demographics and subgroup reporting.
- Identification of key areas for future research and policy development.
Main Results:
- Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding gender-specific HF.
- Current evidence-based therapies for HF lack robust data on sex-specific efficacy and completely lack gender-specific efficacy.
- Clinical trials demonstrate persistent underrepresentation of women and gender minority populations.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive strategy is needed to close the sex/gender gap in HF.
- This includes personalized prevention, equitable therapy implementation, and policy-driven research.
- Enhanced research, subgroup reporting, and community engagement are crucial for all patient cohorts.

