14% higher death rate for women with heart failure

Previous studies show inferior care

WOMEN are more likely to die from heart failure than men, new research has found – with their chances of dying from the condition within a year of being diagnosed around 14% higher than it is for males.

Heart failure affects 90,000 people in Ireland and is the most common cause of death here.

The Canadian study also found that women were more likely than men to be admitted to hospital with the conResearchers dition. And while hospital admissions had fallen for men due to better care, they were continuing to rise in women.

The researchers could not say why the death rates and hospital admissions for heart failure are so much higher for women. But previous studies have shown women are much more likely to die from heart attacks than men as the care they receive is not as good.

Some experts say there is a perception among doctors, and even among women themselves, that heart conditions are principally a man’s disease, which can lead to them being missed.

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is too weak to pump blood round the body, and it gradually worsens. Patients commonly develop the condition after a heart attack or due to another problem such as an irregular heart rhythm or high blood pressure.

from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute looked at 90,707 patients who had been diagnosed with heart failure between 2009 and 2014. They found that compared to men, women were 14% more likely to die within a year of being diag-

‘Few effective treatments’

nosed with the condition. Their chances of being admitted to hospital with the condition were also 7% higher than men.

British experts said similar gender differences existed in the UK.

The incidence of heart failure is rising as the population around the world ages.

Dr Louise Sun, the study’s lead author, said: ‘This is the first of a series of studies to examine the sex differences in heart failure incidence, outcomes, care delivery and access in Ontario.

‘We found that mortality from heart failure remains high, especially in women; that hospital admissions for heart failure decreased in men, but increased in women; and that women and men had different associated comorbidities [additional diseases or disorders co-occurring with a primary disease].

‘Further studies should focus on sex differences in health-seeking behaviour, medical therapy and response to therapy to improve the outcomes in women.’

Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Similar to Ontario, our figures show that the condition often affects women differently to men – especially in terms of the health conditions it’s associated with.

‘There are few effective treatments for heart failure, so better understanding the differences in how it presents in men and women could lead to promising avenues of research into new ways to treat and prevent it.’