Age, but not sex, influences the measurement of ejection fraction in elderly patients hospitalized for heart failure

Use of Ejection Fraction Tests and Coronary Angiography in Patients With Heart Failure

“…1,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] These studies were heterogeneous in size, patient characteristics, length of follow-up, and setting. Most existing studies on test use in HF have focused on hospitalized patients and were frequently based on prevalent cases.…”

Sex differences in response to chronic heart failure therapies

“…The prevalence of HF also increases with age and is higher in men than in For reprint orders, please contact: reprints@expert-reviews.com Review Ghali & Lindenfeld women until the age of 80 years and above when women have a slightly higher prevalence with just over 12% of women and just under 12% of men having a diagnosis of HF [36,37]. At all ages, women with HF have a higher prevalence of preserved systolic function in both outpatient and hospitalized cohorts (FIGURE 1) [38][39][40]. Age-adjusted studies demonstrate that women with HF have a better prognosis than their male counterparts [35].…”

“…A number of explanations for differences in systolic function A-HeFT 1050 420 (40) 56 [32] SCD-HeFT 2521 586 (23) 60 [33] CARE-HF 813 216 (26) 66 [34] and mortality have been suggested. These include intrinsic sex-related differences in cell function [41,42] as well as differences in sex hormones [43][44][45], risk factors and etiology of HF [40]. Available evidence suggests that differences between male and female organisms are not entirely due to hormonal differences and cells from female and male organisms may behave differently independent of hormonal differences [41,42].…”

“…Despite the uncertain role of sex hormones in myocardial remodeling, a number of animal and human models suggest that the transition to HF with myocyte lengthening, ventricular dilation and myocardial dysfunction occurs earlier in males compared with females [46][47][48][49]. Risk factors for HF are similar in men and women but women have a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and a lower prevalence of ischemia as an etiology for HF [40]. Differences in risk factors combined with sex differences in remodeling, already described, probably account for at least some of the higher prevalence of preserved systolic function in women.…”

Why should palliative care clinicians learn about heart failure?

“…12 Many patients have not had appropriate investigation of their heart failure. 13 The challenge for a palliative care clinician referred a patient with 'heart failure' is to first confirm the diagnosis.…”