Gender Differences in the Management and Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Acute Heart Failure

Abstract Background Little is known about sex differences in the prevalence, treatment, and outcome of atrial fibrillation complicating acute heart failure. Methods and Results Among 957 patients (429 women, 528 men), included in the BIO-HF registry, 45.2% (n = 194) of the women and 45.1% (n = 238) of the men were admitted with atrial fibrillation. The primary end point was a composite of 1-year all-cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure. Adjusted 1-year mortality and hospitalization rates were similar between sexes (women 38.5%, men 36.0%; OR for female gender: 1.1, 95% CI 0.65–1.86; P = .71. A significant interaction between female sex and age ( P  = .002) was observed; with worse prognosis for women P  = .005) compared with men P  = .58), or in-hospital mortality (5.7% in women vs 6.7% in men; P  = .69) were observed. Conclusions Among patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, no sex differences in the prevalence and management of atrial fibrillation were observed. In-hospital mortality and the composite of 1-year mortality and rehospitalization were not different between sexes, but a significant sex-age interaction was observed, with worse outcome in women