title: The 'real' woman with heart failure. Impact of sex on current in-hospital management of heart failure by cardiologists and internists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify differences between sexes in the clinical profile, use of resources, management and outcome in a large population of 'real world' patients with heart failure (HF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted on 2127 consecutive patients (47% women) admitted with HF to 167 cardiology and 250 internal medicine departments between February 14 and 25, 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women were older, had a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, and more frequently a hypertensive or valvular aetiology. Females were admitted more frequently in Medical than in Cardiology Departments. The rate of invasive and non-invasive procedures was lower in women than in men, slightly higher if managed by cardiologists. Women were less frequently prescribed ACE-inhibitors, amiodarone, and spironolactone, and more frequently prescribed digoxin. In-hospital mortality was similar, without difference between health-care providers. A 6-month follow-up was performed in 56.4% of the cases in both setting, but less frequently in women. Event rates were similar with nearly half of patients re-hospitalised at least once.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 'real' HF woman has generally a more severe disease; she is an old lady who is more frequently hospitalised in a medical unit, receives few diagnostic, and cardiovascular procedures and pharmacological therapy, has a relatively low probability of dying in hospital, but a high likelihood of requiring readmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Opasich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Feo
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ambrosio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bellis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Lenarda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Tano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fico
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gonzini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lavecchia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010359:Patient Readmission; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D013148:Spironolactone; D000638:Amiodarone