Cardiogenic shock in women: From risk factors to therapy

Cardiogenic shock (CS) in women is a serious cardiovascular (CV) event associated with a high mortality rate. Non-ischemic etiologies are the most common etiologies in women, such as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, peripartum/postpartum cardiomyopathy, heart failure-related CS, or CS due to myocarditis or valvular heart disease. Although not being the most common etiology in women, acute myocardial infarction is still an important one. Guidelines recommend similar treatment of CS in both sexes, but women have consistently been underrepresented in randomized trials regarding treatment of CS, and more robust data on the optimal management of CS in women is needed. Particularly, the role of mechanical circulatory support in women with CS is still unsettled. Several registries have shown that women with CS are less likely to receive evidence-based therapy compared to men. There is therefore a need for increased awareness about CS in women, in order to increase timely diagnosis and management. In this paper we give a short overview over the etiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of CS in women.