Sex Differences in the Treatment of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Population-Based Study in a Local Health District

• Published in: Revista española de cardiología (English ed.) Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 233 - 236
• Main Authors: Riesgo, Alba, Sant, Elisenda, Benito, Luisa, Hoyo, Jordi, Miró, Òscar, Mont, Lluís, Bragulat, Ernest, Coll-Vinent, Blanca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Espana 01-03-2011
• Subjects: Atrial fibrillation; Fibrilación auricular; Género; Sex; Tratamiento; Treatment; Tratamiento; Género; Treatment; Fibrilación auricular; Atrial fibrillation; Sex
• ISSN: 1885-5857; 1885-5857
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rec.2010.04.002

Differences in the treatment of atrial fibrillation between men and women were investigated by using patients in a local health district as a reference population. The study included 688 patients (359 female) who presented with atrial fibrillation. Women were older, more frequently had heart failure, and were more often functionally dependent than men. With regards to the management of atrial fibrillation, women were prescribed digoxin more frequently than men, but underwent electrical cardioversion less often, were less frequently seen by a cardiologist, and understood less about their treatment. After stratifying the findings by age and adjusting for heart failure and the degree of functional dependence, it was observed that women aged over 85 years were prescribed digoxin more often than men, while women aged under 65 years underwent cardioversion less often than men. In conclusion, gender differences observed in the treatment of atrial fibrillation cannot be fully explained by differences in clinical characteristics between men and women in the population.
Se analizan las diferencias en el manejo de la fibrilación auricular en varones y mujeres tomando como referencia de base poblacional un área sanitaria. Se incluyeron 668 pacientes (359 mujeres) que consultaron por fibrilación auricular. Las mujeres presentaban más edad, insuficiencia cardiaca y dependencia funcional que los varones. Respecto al manejo de la fibrilación auricular, ellas recibían más frecuentemente digoxina y menos frecuentemente cardioversión eléctrica y valoración por un cardiólogo, y su conocimiento del tratamiento era menor. Tras estratificar los resultados por edad y ajustarlos por insuficiencia cardiaca y grado de dependencia, las mujeres de 85 o más años recibían más frecuentemente digoxina y las menores de 65 años, menos frecuentemente cardioversión. Se concluye que existen diferencias de género en el manejo de la fibrilación auricular, las cuales no pueden ser totalmente atribuidas a diferencias de las características clínicas poblacionales entre mujeres y varones.