Gender differences in mortality after myocardial infarction. Why women fare worse than men.

Several studies have indicated that women sustaining a myocardial infarction have a higher unadjusted short-term (i.e., in-hospital or 30-day) mortality than men. The advanced age of women at the time of presentation appears to be the major factor contributing to their worse prognosis relative to men. Controlling for age eliminates the association between female gender and increased mortality in most, but not all studies. This article reviews the data on age and other factors that might explain why women with a myocardial infarction fare worse then men.