Sex Differences in Mortality Following Acute Coronary Syndromes

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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.