Gender Differences in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Electrical Cardioversion

Abstract

Our results support the hypothesis that gender is a determinant in decisions on the most appropriate strategy for managing AF. We observed a decrease in the percentage of women undergoing electrical cardioversion during the last decade, especially in older asymptomatic patients.

Assessment of Use vs Discontinuation of Oral Anticoagulation After Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

“…It is unclear if these epidemiologic sex differences explain the entire numerical difference between men and women undergoing PVI, especially since women have more symptoms of AF than do men. 25,26 Most patients in our study (1421 of 1480 [96.0%]) continued warfarin treatment during the first 3 months after PVI, as current guidelines recommend, 6 and 815 of 1175 (69.4%) continued warfarin treatment beyond 1 year after PVI. As expected, the proportion of patients continuing warfarin treatment long-term was higher in patients with a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 2 or more (421 of 527 [79.9%]) than in patients with a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of zero (215 of 373 [57.6%]).…”

Atrial fibrillation in women: treatment

“…A few unadjusted analyses from observational studies have reported that electrical cardioversion is less common in women than in men 31,32,40 . Without a critical evaluation of confounders associated with use of electrical cardioversion and in the absence of established superiority of cardioversion to rate control, we cannot establish disparities in the use of cardioversion in the treatment of AF.…”

“…Without a critical evaluation of confounders associated with use of electrical cardioversion and in the absence of established superiority of cardioversion to rate control, we cannot establish disparities in the use of cardioversion in the treatment of AF. Electrical cardioversion is generally associated with similar success rates in women and men 41,40,42 , although one study suggested after multivariable adjustments that the risk of AF recurrence was higher in women than in men 43 .…”

Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms and Sex, Race, and Psychological Distress

“…Few of the studies in this review were designed for the exclusive purpose of examining symptoms in AF. (49, 50, 52, 61) Many of the articles reported on symptoms through subsample analysis where part of the data and sample was taken from a larger study. (5, 8, 57, 62)…”