Women remain underrepresented in heart failure clinical trials relative to disease prevalence, highlighting the need for interventions to achieve sex and gender parity.
This review highlights the persistent underrepresentation of women in heart failure clinical trials and outlines strategies to achieve sex and gender parity in research.
Heart failure is a significant public health burden that differentially impacts women. Important sex- and gender-based differences in HF risk factors, presentation, and treatment exist, and the generation of high-quality evidence is critical to elucidate these differences. Despite the remarkable growth of the heart failure clinical research enterprise over the last four decades, women remain underrepresented in heart failure clinical trials relative to the population prevalence of heart failure in women. This disparity has resulted in significant knowledge gaps regarding the optimal care of women with heart failure. In this review, we summarize the existing literature regarding the participation of women in heart failure clinical trials. Additionally, we explain the evidence surrounding sex- and gender-specific barriers to enrollment in heart failure clinical trials and describe interventions that should be implemented throughout the clinical trial lifespan to achieve sex and gender parity.
Reza et al. (Sat,) conducted a review in Heart failure. Female representation in clinical trials was evaluated. Women remain underrepresented in heart failure clinical trials relative to disease prevalence, highlighting the need for interventions to achieve sex and gender parity.