February 1, 1998Cardiology Clinics73 citationsOpen Access
View Full PaperGender Differences in Mortality After Myocardial Infarction
Structured PICO
Does female gender increase short-term mortality after myocardial infarction compared to male gender?
P
Population
Patients sustaining a myocardial infarction
O
Outcome
Short-term (in-hospital or 30-day) mortalityhard clinical
The higher unadjusted short-term mortality observed in women after myocardial infarction is primarily driven by their more advanced age at presentation rather than intrinsic gender differences.
Abstract
Several studies have indicated that women sustaining a myocardial infarction have a higher unadjusted short-term (i.e., in-hospital or 30-day) mortality than men. The advanced age of women at the time of presentation appears to be the major factor contributing to their worse prognosis relative to men. Controlling for age eliminates the association between female gender and increased mortality in most, but not all studies. This article reviews the data on age and other factors that might explain why women with a myocardial infarction fare worse then men.