title: Gender differences in stroke, mortality, and hospitalization among patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a systematic review of gender differences in stroke, mortality, and hospitalization for patients with atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (AF/Afl).
  
  
  METHODS
  Full texts, published, peer-reviewed, English language articles from 1999 through July 2014 were examined. Articles with populations of patients with AF/Afl were included if they conducted longitudinal analysis of any of three outcomes: stroke, mortality, and hospitalization, and reported or compared at least one of the outcomes according to gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen articles were included: sixteen on stroke, nine on mortality, and one on hospitalization. In nine articles women had more strokes (RRs 0.89-1.9). Findings about gender differences in mortality (RRs 0.69-2.8) and hospitalizations were equivocal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few articles examine differences in outcomes between men and women with AF/Afl. Given the prevalence of AF/Afl and health care costs it is vital to determine gender differences to evaluate appropriate therapies to decrease stroke, mortality, and hospitalizations.
authors.affiliation: George Washington University, School of Nursing, 2030 M Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Electronic address: dchapa@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Chapa
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Nursing, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Bimbola
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akintade
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Nursing, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Sue A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Nursing, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friedmann
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Female; Stroke; Survival; Systematic review