Is female sex an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction?
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether female sex is a factor independently related to in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction.


METHODS
Of 600 consecutive patients (435 males and 165 females) with acute myocardial infarction, we studied 13 demographic and clinical variables obtained at the time of hospital admission through uni- and multivariate analysis, and analyzed their relation to in-hospital death.


RESULTS
Females were older (p<0.001) and had a higher incidence of hypertension (p<0.001). Males were more frequently smokers (p<0.001). The remaining risk factors had a similar incidence among both sexes. All variables underwent uni- and multivariate analysis. Through univariate analysis, the following variables were found to be associated with in-hospital death: female sex (p<0.001), age >70 years (p<0.001), the presence of previous coronary artery disease (p=0.0004), previous myocardial infarction (p<0.001), infarction in the anterior wall (p=0.007), presence of left ventricular dysfunction (p<0.001), and the absence of thrombolytic therapy (p=0.04). Through the multivariate analysis of logistic regression, the following variables were associated with in-hospital mortality: female sex (p=0.001), age (p=0.008), the presence of previous myocardial infarction (p=0.02), and left ventricular dysfunction (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
After adjusting for all risk variables, female sex proved to be a variable independently related to in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction.
Pimenta
L
L
Hospital Pró-Cardíaco, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. lucia-pimenta@uol.com.br
Bassan
R
R
Potsch
A
A
Soares
J F
JF
Albanesi Filho
F M
FM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors