Female patients with POTS experienced a significantly longer diagnostic delay compared to male patients (median 1.50 vs 0.92 years, P<0.001), despite similar rates of misdiagnosis.
Cross-Sectional (n=8,919)
Yes
Are there sex differences in diagnostic delay and access to medical care among patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome?
Female patients with POTS experience a significantly longer diagnostic delay compared to male patients, highlighting a need for increased awareness to improve management.
Absolute Event Rate: 1.5% vs 0.92%
p-value: p=<0.001
BackgroundPostural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic form of orthostatic intolerance that primarily impacts female patients of childbearing age. The role of sex differences in POTS is not well understood. We sought to identify sex differences in diagnosis, symptoms, comorbidities, and treatments in female and male patients diagnosed with POTS.MethodsA comprehensive survey was designed in partnership by Dysautonomia International (East Moriches, NY) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN). Patients were recruited through Dysautonomia International’s website and social media channels. The survey was delivered online through a secure research data capture database. Responses were analyzed according to biological sex. Continuous variables are presented as median (25th percentile-75th percentile), and categorical variables are presented as number and proportion of participants.ResultsA total of 8919 patients reported a physician diagnosis of POTS and were included in this analysis. The majority of respondents were female (93.7%). Female and male patients experienced misdiagnosis at similar rates (76.2% vs 74.9%, P = 0.5) and saw a similar number of doctors before diagnosis (5 3-8 vs 5 3-8, P = 0.9). Despite these similarities, diagnostic delay was longer for female, compared with male, patients (1.50 0.25-5.25 years vs 0.92 0.08-2.91 years, P < 0.001).ConclusionsDespite the primarily female demographic of POTS patients, female patients experience more challenges with diagnosis than male patients. Increased awareness and recognition of POTS may help to reduce the diagnostic challenges in both female and male patients, and improve treatment and management for individuals living with this debilitating disorder.
Bourne et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) (n=8,919). Female sex vs. Male sex was evaluated on Diagnostic delay (years) (p=<0.001). Female patients with POTS experienced a significantly longer diagnostic delay compared to male patients (median 1.50 vs 0.92 years, P<0.001), despite similar rates of misdiagnosis.
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