Influence of gender on survival, mode of death, reinfarction, use of medication, and aspects of well being during a period of five years after onset of acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: This study was undertaken to describe prognosis during a period of 5 years after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in relation to gender. METHODS: All patients studied were hospitalized in a single hospital during a period of 21 months due to AMI, regardless of age and whether they were admitted to the coronary care unit or another ward. A total of 862 AMI patients 581 (67%) men and 281 (33%) women were prospectively evaluated. Males were younger and less frequently had a history of congestive heart failure and hypertension. RESULTS: The overall 5-year mortality rate was 48% among men compared with 61% among women (p 0.2). CONCLUSION: During 5 years of follow-up in a consecutive series of 862 AMI patients, women had a worse prognosis than men, with a mortality of 61% compared with 48% (p < 0.001). However, after controlling for a number of potentially confounding prognostic factors, female gender was not independently associated with mortality.