Excess mortality in women compared to men after PCI in STEMI: an analysis of 11,931 patients during 2000-2009

Background: Ambiguity exists whether gender affects outcome in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: To evaluate the relationship between gender and outcome in a large cohort of PCI patients, 11,931 consecutive patients who underwent PCI for various indications during 2000-2009 were studied using survival analyses and Cox regression models.

Results: Most patients (n=8588; 72%) were men. Women were older and more often had a history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Men smoked more frequently, had a more extensive cardiovascular history (previous MI, PCI and CABG), a higher prevalence of renal impairment and multi-vessel disease. In STEMI patients, women had higher 31-day mortality rates than men (11.6% vs. 6.5%, respectively, p<0.001). This difference remained after adjustment for confounders (aHR at 30-days 1.54 and 95% CI 1.22-1.96). Likewise, higher mortality was observed at 1-year (15.1% vs. 9.3%) and 4-year follow-up (21.6% vs. 15.0%, aHR 1.30 and 95% CI 1.10-1.53). There were no differences in mortality between women and men in NSTE-ACS (aHR at 4-years 1.05 and 95% CI 0.85-1.28) or stable angina (HR at 4-years 0.85 and 95% CI 0.68-1.08).

Conclusion: Women undergoing PCI for STEMI had higher mortality than men. The excess mortality in women appeared in the first month after PCI and could only partially be explained by a difference in baseline characteristics. No gender differences in outcome in patients undergoing PCI for NSTE-ACS and stable angina were observed.