Sex Differences in Mortality Following Acute Coronary Syndromes

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, accounting for one-third of all deaths.¹ Although several studies have shown an improvement of prognosis in women over time,² overall outcomes remain worse for women compared with men,³ providing a strong rationale for focusing on the study of sex-based differences in the outcome of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Previous analyses of sex-based differences following ACS have reported conflicting results, even after adjustment for demographics and clinical characteristics.^4-17 In a large systematic review comparing short-term mortality between women and men, Vaccarino et al³ concluded that after adjustment for differences in age and baseline prognostic factors, some but not all of the excess mortality was explained.