Relevance: As described in this review, a more recent effort to include women in research studies and clinical trials has increased our knowledge about sex-based differences in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, outcomes, and prognosis.
Key Points
• Source: Circulation Research
• Source: “As described in this review, a more recent effort to include women in research studies and clinical trials has increased our knowledge about sex-based differences in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, outcomes, and prognosis.”
• Women with valvular heart disease are underrepresented in many important clinical trials on which guidelines are based. Surgical referrals are often delayed, thus resulting in worse clinical outcomes
• “In several analyses, women treated with surgical AV replacement (SAVR) were more likely to be older with more advanced disease at the time of surgery than men, and this is reflected in higher operative mortality after SAVR in women compared with men,” wrote the authors.
• Female sex is an independent risk factor of worsened operative mortality and morbidity after SAVR. Notably, female sex is a risk metric in various surgery prediction tools such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and EuroSCORE calculators. These risk prediction scores can guide clinical practice.
• Per a recent update of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease, basic science studies assessing genetic and pathobiological etiologies of valvulopathies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of disease and develop medical therapies to stop progression. The use of female animal models to determine sex differences in biological pathways and outcomes of therapy are needed.
• Source: Circulation Research
• Source: “As described in this review, a more recent effort to include women in research studies and clinical trials has increased our knowledge about sex-based differences in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, outcomes, and prognosis.”
• Women with valvular heart disease are underrepresented in many important clinical trials on which guidelines are based. Surgical referrals are often delayed, thus resulting in worse clinical outcomes
• “In several analyses, women treated with surgical AV replacement (SAVR) were more likely to be older with more advanced disease at the time of surgery than men, and this is reflected in higher operative mortality after SAVR in women compared with men,” wrote the authors.
• Female sex is an independent risk factor of worsened operative mortality and morbidity after SAVR. Notably, female sex is a risk metric in various surgery prediction tools such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and EuroSCORE calculators. These risk prediction scores can guide clinical practice.
• Per a recent update of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease, basic science studies assessing genetic and pathobiological etiologies of valvulopathies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of disease and develop medical therapies to stop progression. The use of female animal models to determine sex differences in biological pathways and outcomes of therapy are needed.