The incidence rate of sudden cardiac death in young women was half that of young men (1.8 vs. 3.6 per 100,000 person-years, IRR 2.0), despite comparable causes of death and comorbidities.
Observational (n=635)
Does female gender affect the incidence and characteristics of sudden cardiac death in young individuals aged 1-35 years?
Young women have half the incidence rate of sudden cardiac death compared to young men, despite similar causes of death and comorbidities, suggesting a potential protective effect of female gender.
Effect estimate: IRR 2.0 (95% CI 1.7-2.4)
Absolute Event Rate: 1.8% vs 3.6%
p-value: p=<0.01
BACKGROUND: Hitherto, sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young has been described with no distinction between genders. SCD occurs more often in men (SCDm) than women (SCDw), but this disparity is not understood and has not been investigated systematically in a nationwide setting. Our objective was to report gender differences in SCD in the young in a nationwide (Denmark) setting. METHODS: All deaths in persons aged 1-35 years nationwide in Denmark between 2000 and 2009 were included. Death certificates and autopsy reports were obtained. The extensive health care registries in Denmark were used to investigate any known disease prior to death. SCDw were compared to SCDm. RESULTS: During the 10-year study period there were a total of 8756 deaths in 23.7 million person-years. In total, 635 deaths were SCD. SCDw constituted 205 deaths (32%). Women had a higher proportion of witnessed deaths (51 vs. 41%, p = 0.02) and died less often in a public place (16 vs. 26%, p = 0.01). Age at death, ratios of autopsies and sudden unexplained deaths, and comorbidities, did not differ. Causes of SCD were largely comparable between genders. The incidence rate of SCDw was half of that of SCDm (1.8 vs. 3.6 per 100,000 person-years, incidence rate ratio 2.0 (95% CI 1.7-2.4), p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Incidence rate ratio of SCDm vs SCDw is 2. Young SCDw and SCDm are equally investigated, have comparable comorbidity, and causes of SCD. SCD due to potentially inherited cardiac diseases is less often in young women and could reflect a protection of female gender.
Winkel et al. (Sat,) conducted a observational in Sudden cardiac death (SCD) (n=635). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on Incidence rate of sudden cardiac death per 100,000 person-years (IRR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7-2.4, p=<0.01). The incidence rate of sudden cardiac death in young women was half that of young men (1.8 vs. 3.6 per 100,000 person-years, IRR 2.0), despite comparable causes of death and comorbidities.