Women Are More Likely To Survive Heart Failure
03/15/2012
by
Joseph
Women are more likely to survive heart failure than men, new research suggests. In a report published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, researchers have found evidence that the outlook for women suffering heart failure is better than men suffering from the medical condition.
An international team of scientists led by Manuel Martinez-Selles from the Cardiology Department at the Hospital General Universitario Gregario Maranon in Spain studied the relationship between gender and heart failure patient survivalship.
In order to find the answer, they collected data from the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) individual patient analysis. The MAGGIC analysis collected 31 randomized and observational studies from 28,052 men and 13,897 women with heart failure. To help with the analysis, the team took several factors into account including age, left ventricular systolic function, etiology and diabetes.
Scientists noted that over three years of follow up, 3521 women and 7232 men died. After Martinez-Selles' team adjusted for certain factors, the outcome for women improved but worsened for men revealing the prognosis for women with non-ischemic heart failure was better than for women who suffered ischemic heart failure.
When scientists looked at gender differences, they learned that women who suffered heart failure tended to be older, with a history of hypertension and less likely to have a history of ischemic heart disease and reduced ejection fraction (EF) compared to men.
The international research team looked at ejection fraction because it determines how much blood the left ventricle pumps throughout the body. Hearts with weakened left ventricles will have a reduced ejection fraction and thus will have greater difficulty supplying blood to the rest of the body.
Ejection fraction seemed to play a bigger role in male heart failure mortality than women, which suggests that gender specific factors could provide women with an advantage in terms of their ability to survive heart failure.
The Martinez-Selles' team said:"Survival is better for women with heart failure compared with men irrespective of EF. This survival benefit is slightly more marked in non-ischemic heart failure but is attenuated in concomitant diabetes."
Despite gender differences, men and women can increase their chances of surviving heart failure by taking steps to prevent heart disease. This would involve such things as regular exercise, nutritious meals, stress reduction, and cessation of smoking and other habits that put your heart at risk.
Take the first step by making a pledge to lead a healthy lifestyle. Click on the Million Hearts banner located in the sidebar. This will take you to the Million Hearts website which is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where you can learn tips to prevent heart attack and stroke. You owe it to yourself to be healthy.
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Article Source
Martinez-Selles, M., Doughty, R., Poppe, K., Whalley, G., Earle, N., Tribouilloy, C., McMurray, J., Swedberg, K., Kober, L., Berry, C., Squire, I., & , . (2012). Gender and survival in patients with heart failure: interactions with diabetes and aetiology. Results from the MAGGIC individual patient meta-analysis European Journal of Heart Failure DOI: 10.1093/eurjhf/hfs026
"Women Are More Likely To Survive Heart Failure" copyright 2012 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy(SM). All Rights Reserved.
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