Sex differences between younger men and women presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been recognized for decades. Whether sex differences persist among older adults (≥75 years old) with AMI, including in their relative burden of functional impairments, has not been adequately studied in a contemporary older adult population. Given this uncertainty, we set out to assess sex-based differences in presentation characteristics, functional impairments, in-hospital treatments and complications, in older adults ≥75 years presenting with AMI from the SILVER-AMI study. We recently published our findings in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Some key highlights:
- Among 3041 participants in SILVER-AMI, women and men differed across many baseline and presentation characteristics. Women had lower rates of prior coronary disease and, among those with non-ST-segment-elevation MI (NSTEMI), reported chest pain as their primary symptom less often than men (50.0% vs. 58.6%).
- Older women with AMI had higher rates of age-associated functional impairments at baseline than men, including higher rates of cognitive impairment (NSTEMI: 20.6% versus 14.3%; STEMI: 20.6% versus 12.4%), impaired functional mobility (NSTEMI: 44.5% vs. 30.7%; STEMI: 39.4% vs. 22.0%) and disability with activities of daily living (NSTEMI: 19.7% vs. 11.4%; STEMI: 14.8% vs. 6.4%).
- Women had lower rates of obstructive coronary disease and underwent less revascularization than their male counterparts in both the ST-segment-elevation MI (STEMI) and NSTEMI groups.
- Bleeding complications were more frequent among women with STEMI (26.2% vs. 15.6%), driven primarily by higher rates of nonmajor bleeding (20.4% vs. 11.5%) and bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (22.6% vs. 14.8%) among women.
The higher rates of functional impairment among older women identified here underscore the importance of assessing all hospitalized patients for impairments associated with aging, with an especially high index of suspicion when caring for older women with AMI. Improved diagnosis can help guide interventions to optimize mobility, adherence, and prevent falls.
Higher bleeding rates seen in older adult women with STEMI suggest that bleeding prevention strategies must be emphasized in this population, especially in those undergoing PCI. This represents an important future area for quality improvement efforts.
Recognition is the first step towards closing these gaps in AMI care. While substantial efforts are being made to reduce sex differences in care across the age spectrum, some of the more geriatric-specific issues identified here must be considered as we meet these challenges going forward.
By: Michael Nanna, MD
Dr. Nanna is a Cardiovascular Disease Fellow at Duke University School of Medicine.
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