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The burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major health problem worldwide. The detrimental effect of gendered (ie, unevenly distributed between female and male) socioeconomic determinants of health (SDOH) on outcomes has been demonstrated, more so in female individuals. Therefore, addressing SDOH is a priority for the care implementation of patients with IHD. We conducted a scoping review to identify the types of SDOH-tailored interventions tested in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) among IHD patients, and whether the reporting of findings was sex-unbiased. We identified 8 SDOH domains: education, physical environment, health care system, economic stability, social support, sexual orientation, culture/language, and systemic racism. A total of 28 RCTs (2 ongoing) were evaluated. Since the 1990s, 26 RCTs have been conducted, mainly in the Middle East and Asia, and addressed only education, physical environment, health care system, and social support. The 77% of studies focused on patient-education interventions, and around 80% on SDOH-based interventions achieved positive effects on a variety of primary outcome(s). Among the limitations of the conducted RCTs, the most relevant were an overall low participation of female and racial/ethnical minority participants, a lack of sex-stratified analyses, and a missing opportunity of tailoring some SDOH interventions relevant for health. The SDOH-tailored interventions tested so far in RCTs, enrolling predominantly male patients and mainly targeting education and health literacy, were effective in improving outcomes among patients with IHD. Future studies should focus on a wider range of SDOH with an adequate representation of female and minority patients who would most benefit from such interventions.

ObjectiveTo examine prevalence and characteristics of newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD) in younger adults hospitalised with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and investigate whether NDD is associated with health status and clinical outcomes over 12-month post-AMI.MethodsIn individuals (18–55 years) admitted with AMI, without established diabetes, we defined NDD as (1) baseline or 1-month HbA1c≥6.5%; (2) discharge diabetes diagnosis or (3) diabetes medication initiation within 1 month. We compared baseline characteristics of NDD, established diabetes and no diabetes, and their associations with baseline, 1-month and 12-month health status (angina-specific and non-disease specific), mortality and in-hospital complications.ResultsAmong 3501 patients in Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients study, 14.5% met NDD criteria. Among 508 patients with NDD, 35 (6.9%) received discharge diagnosis, 91 (17.9%) received discharge diabetes education and 14 (2.8%) initiated pharmacological treatment within 1 month. NDD was more common in non-White (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.03), obese (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.12), financially stressed patients (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.58). Compared with established diabetes, NDD was independently associated with better disease-specific health status and quality of life (p≤0.04). No significant differences were found in unadjusted in-hospital mortality and complications between NDD and established or no diabetes.ConclusionsNDD was common among adults≤55 years admitted with AMI and was more frequent in non-White, obese, financially stressed individuals. Under 20% of patients with NDD received discharge diagnosis or initiated discharge diabetes education or pharmacological treatment within 1 month post-AMI. NDD was not associated with increased risk of worse short-term health status compared with risk noted for established diabetes.Trial registration numberNCT00597922.

Background: We examined sex differences in long-term health outcomes following acute myocardial infarction in China, including mortality, major adverse cardiac events and health status (symptoms, functioning, quality of life).Methods: A total of 3415 acute myocardial infarction patients (23.2% women) aged ⩾18 years were enrolled across 10 geographic regions in China (2012–2014) in the China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE) study. Clinical data was abstracted from medical records. Generic (Euro-Quality of Life Scale) and disease-specific (Seattle Angina Questionnaire) health status was obtained through interviews at baseline and one year.Results: At one year, women with acute myocardial infarction had a higher risk of death from all causes (p<0.001), but had similar rates of major adverse cardiac events (p=0.2). Women had lower mean generic (Euro-Quality of Life Scale utility index score: 0.90±0.13 vs 0.94±0.11) and disease specific health scores indicating poorer functioning (Seattle Angina Questionnaire summary score: 75.3±11.4 vs 78.4±9.7) and higher rates of daily/weekly angina (Seattle Angina Questionnaire angina frequency score ⩽60 vs >60: 9.1% vs 4.7%; all p<0.001). In multivariable analysis, there was a significant association between female sex and mortality (β=0.45, standard error=0.21, p=0.03) but not for major adverse cardiac events (β=−0.02, standard error=0.14, p=0.89). The association between female sex and worse generic health status persisted (β=−0.02, standard error=0.01, p=0.003), but was no longer significant between sexes for disease-specific health status (β=−0.82, standard error=0.58, p=0.154) or daily/weekly angina (odds ratio=1.39; 95% confidence interval 0.88–2.21).Conclusion: Women in China have higher crude rates of all-cause/cardiovascular death versus men, as well as worse generic/disease specific health status at one-year post-acute myocardial infarction. The association between female sex and worse generic health status persisted following adjustment.

Aims: Young women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have a higher risk of adverse outcomes than men. However, it is unclear how young women with AMI are different from young men across a spectrum of characteristics. We sought to compare young women and men at the time of AMI on six domains of demographic and clinical factors in order to determine whether they have distinct profiles.Methods and results: Using data from Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients (VIRGO), a prospective cohort study of women and men aged ⩽55 years hospitalized for AMI (n= 3501) in the United States and Spain, we evaluated sex differences in demographics, healthcare access, cardiovascular risk and psychosocial factors, symptoms and pre-hospital delay, clinical presentation, and hospital management for AMI. The study sample included 2349 (67%) women and 1152 (33%) men with a mean age of 47 years. Young women with AMI had higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities than men, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure, and morbid obesity. They also exhibited higher levels of depression and stress, poorer physical and mental health status, and lower quality of life at baseline. Women had more delays in presentation and presented with higher clinical risk scores on average than men; however, men presented with higher levels of cardiac biomarkers and more classic electrocardiogram findings. Women were less likely to undergo revascularization procedures during hospitalization, and women with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction were less likely to receive timely primary reperfusion.Conclusions: Young women with AMI represent a distinct, higher-risk population that is different from young men.

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Aims Despite the benefits of regular physical activity participation following acute myocardial infarction, little is known about gender differences in physical activity among patients after acute myocardial infarction. We described, by gender, physical activity trajectories pre- and post-acute myocardial infarction, and determined whether gender was independently associated with physical activity.Methods and results The Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI patients (VIRGO) study, conducted at 103 US, 24 Spanish, and three Australian hospitals, was designed, in part, to evaluate gender differences in lifestyle behaviors following acute myocardial infarction. We used baseline, one-month, and 12-month data collected from patients aged 18–55 years (n= 3572). Patients were assigned to American Heart Association-defined levels of physical activity. A generalized estimating equation model was used to account for repeated measures within the same individual over time. Men were more active (≥150 min/wk moderate or ≥75 min/wk vigorous activity) than women at baseline (42% vs 34%), one month (45% vs 34%), and 12 months (48% vs 36%) (all p< 0.0001). Men engaged in a significantly longer duration of activity at each time point. When controlling for all other factors, women had 1.37 times the odds of being less active than men from pre-acute myocardial infarction to 12-months post-acute myocardial infarction (95% confidence interval: 1.21–1.55). Non-white race, non-active workplaces, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were also associated independently with being less active over time (all p< 0.05).Conclusions Although activity increased modestly over time, women recovering from acute myocardial infarction were less likely to meet physical activity recommendations than were men. By identifying factors associated with low levels of activity during acute myocardial infarction recovery, targeted interventions can be introduced prior to hospital discharge.

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Background:Marital stress is associated with worse cardiac outcomes in young adults (≤55 years) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but whether psychosocial factors mediate this association remains largely unknown. We conducted a mediation analysis to investigate whether marital stress worsened quality of life (QoL) after AMI by increasing the likelihood of depression or low social support.Methods:There were 1,037 married/partnered AMI survivors aged 18-55 years enrolled in the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study (2008-2012) (67% women, mean age 47 years). Marital stress was measured by the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale at 1 month post-AMI; categorized as absent/moderate or severe. Depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥10), low social support (ENRICHD Social Support Instrument score ≤3 on ≥2 items and total score ≤18), and cardiac-specific QoL (Seattle Angina Questionnaire) were assessed at 1 year post-AMI. Natural direct and indirect effects of marital stress, depression, and low social support on QoL were estimated by causal mediation analysis with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals. Baseline QoL, sex, age, race, and socioeconomic factors (education, income, employment, and insurance status) were entered as covariates in all models.Results:There was a statistically significant direct effect from severe marital stress to lower 1-year cardiac-specific QoL after adjusting for covariates (Figure). Low social support and depression mediated 14.7% and 11.1% of the total relationship between marital stress and QoL, respectively; however, only the mediating effect through low social support was statistically significant.Conclusion:Marital stress was significantly associated with worse 1-year cardiac-specific QoL, and this effect was partially mediated by low social support. Interventions to decrease marital stress that also screen and provide resources for social support may help to improve AMI outcomes.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.Despite evidence-based guidelines,1stroke rehabilitation remains underutilized, particularly among women and minorities.2Telerehabilitation is a promising alternative to traditional in-person rehabilitation and offers a novel strategy to overcome access barriers,3which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.4A broadband connection is a prerequisite for its wide adoption but its availability varies across the United States (https://broadbandnow.com/national-broadband-map). Little is known about demographic and geographic variation in internet use among stroke survivors. In this study, we sought to compare internet use in a nationally representative sample of individuals with and without stroke.

Background:Perceived discrimination is associated with several risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but little is known about the association between discrimination and health status outcomes post-AMI.Methods:We analyzed the 1- and 12-month health status of 2,670 young (≤ 55 years) adults recovering from an AMI enrolled in the VIRGO study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients). Perceived discrimination was assessed using the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS). General health status was measured using the Short Form 12 Physical and Mental Component Scores (PCS and MCS). Disease-specific health status was measured using the following domains of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ): treatment satisfaction (TS), quality of life (QL) and dichotomous forms of the physical limitation and angina frequency domain scores (score < 100). Lower scores indicate worse health status. Multivariable linear regression of the PCS, MCS, TS, and QL scores and multivariable logistic regression of the dichotomous forms of physical limitation and angina frequency were used to assess their adjusted associations with perceived discrimination.Results:Nearly 35.0% of the cohort reported discrimination (EDS > 0). At 1-month post-AMI, increased EDS score was significantly associated with lower MCS, TS, and QL scores and higher odds of physical limitation and angina after adjustment (Figure). At 12-months post-AMI, increased EDS score retained its significant associations with lower MCS and QL scores and higher odds of physical limitation and angina, but not its association with TS (Figure). The EDS score was not associated with PCS at either 1- or 12-months post-AMI.Conclusions:Perceived discrimination was associated with worse mental health and disease-specific health status one year after AMI after adjusting important confounders. Further work to understand the source and how to mitigate perceived discrimination is needed.

Background:Psychosocial stress is associated with worse cardiac outcomes, but little is known about the prognostic impact of marital stress in young adults (≤55 years) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated the association between marital stress and 1-year health outcomes in young AMI survivors.Methods:We used data from the VIRGO study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients), which enrolled people aged 18-55 years with AMI (2008-2012). Marital stress was assessed among married/partnered participants at 1 month post-AMI using the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale, categorized as absent/mild, moderate, and severe. Main outcomes were physical/mental health status, generic/disease-specific quality of life, angina, depressive symptoms, and all-cause readmission at 1 year post-AMI. Linear and logistic regression models were sequentially adjusted for baseline health status, demographics, and socioeconomic factors (including education level, income level, employment status, and insurance status).Results:Among the 1593 married/partnered participants in our study, more women reported severe marital stress than men (39.4% vs 30.4%, p=0.001). Having severe marital stress was associated with worse physical and mental health, lower generic and cardiovascular-specific quality of life, more angina and depressive symptoms, and 1.48 times higher all-cause readmission at 1 year post-AMI. These associations remained significant after adjusting for baseline health score and patient demographics (Table Model 1), but they attenuated and became non-significant when further adjusting for socioeconomic factors (Model 2).Conclusion:Marital stress was associated with worse health outcomes in young AMI patients, which can be partially mediated by socioeconomic factors. Further research is needed to understand this complex relationship and potential causal pathway associated with these findings.

The aim of this study was to assess trends in hospitalizations and outcomes for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC).

Aims: We assessed gender differences in pre-event health status (symptoms, functioning, quality of life) in young patients with acute myocardial infarction and whether or not this association persists following sequential adjustment for important covariates. We also evaluated the interaction between gender and prior coronary artery disease, given that aggressive symptom control is a cornerstone of care in those with known coronary disease.Methods and results: A total of 3501 acute myocardial infarction patients (2349 women) aged 18–55 years were enrolled from 103 US/24 Spanish hospitals (2008–2012). Clinical/health status information was obtained by medical record abstraction and patient interviews. Pre-event health status was measured by generic (Short Form-12, EuroQoL) and disease-specific (Seattle Angina Questionnaire) measures. T-test/chi-square and multivariable linear/logistic regression analysis was utilized, sequentially adjusting for covariates. Women had more co-morbidities and significantly lower generic mean health scores than men (Short Form-12 physical health = 43±12 vs. 46±11 and mental health = 44±13 vs. 48±11); EuroQoL utility index = 0.7±0.2 vs. 0.8±0.2 and visual analog scale = 63±22 vs. 67±20, P< 0.0001 for all. Their disease-specific health status was also worse, with more angina (Seattle Angina Questionnaire angina frequency = 83±22 vs. 87±18), worse physical function (physical limitation = 78±27 vs. 87±21) and poorer quality of life (55±25 vs. 60±22, P<0.0001 for all). In multivariable analysis, the association between female gender and worse generic physical/mental health persisted, as well as worse disease-specific physical limitation and quality of life. The interaction between gender and prior coronary artery disease was not significant in any of the health status outcomes.Conclusion: Young women have worse pre-event health status as compared with men, regardless of their coronary artery disease history. While future studies of gender differences should adjust for baseline health status, an opportunity may exist to better address the pre-event health status of women at risk for acute myocardial infarction.

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Despite the excess risk of mortality in young women (55 years of age) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little is known about young women’s health status (symptoms, functioning, quality of life) during the first year of recovery after an AMI. We examined gender differences in health status over time from baseline to 12 months after AMI.

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Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a puzzling clinical entity with no previous evaluation of the literature. This systematic review aims to (1) quantify the prevalence, risk factors, and 12-month prognosis in patients with MINOCA, and (2) evaluate potential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder.

Background:Stroke rehabilitation (SR) has been outlined in ASA/AHA guidelines as a critical component of post-acute care. US studies from the 2000s have found associations between rural residence and lower SR attendance, but contemporary information about SR attendance across geographic areas and patient subgroups is limited.Methods:Using the most recent 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 self-reported Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Surveys with SR data, we identified US adult stroke patients in 20 states. Rural/urban residence was classified by the Metropolitan Statistical Area codes. We compared SR attendance (Yes/No) among rural and urban stroke patients by sex and age groups (18-44y, 45-64y, 65+y). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between rural/urban residence and SR while controlling for key sociodemographic factors. Survey weighting was applied to all analyses.Results:Among 7878 stroke patients (40.8% rural, 62.2% women), slightly less rural residents attended SR compared to urban ones (30.8% vs 32.6%, p=0.357) (Figure). Rural/urban residence was not associated with SR prior to and after adjustment for sex, age, race, education, income, insurance status, and having a personal doctor (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.80-1.15). In stratified analyses, women, patients 18-44y, and 45-64y who live in rural areas were less likely to attend SR than their urban counterparts. Women also had lower SR than men, irrespective of rural/urban residence.Conclusions:On average, a third of US stroke patients went to SR with no association found between rural/urban residence and SR attendance. However, a pattern of lower SR rates was observed across some sex and age subgroups in rural areas and in women regardless of residence status. Targeted interventions are needed to address rural/urban disparities and optimize secondary stroke prevention utilization, especially among women and young to middle aged patients in US rural areas.

Background:Prior studies have identified sex, age, and geographic differences in post-stroke rehabilitation use in certain US areas. Internet use is an important prerequisite to the adoption of telerehabilitation, which has shown promise in equalizing access to follow-up care among stroke patients. We aimed to assess 30-day internet use disparities between male and female stroke patients by age and within each US state.Methods:We identified US adults 18y and older with a self-reported history of stroke from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys, a nationally representative dataset (2015-2017). Internet users were identified as those who responded “Yes” to the question, “Have you used the internet in the past 30 days?” Prevalence of internet use was compared between sex and age groups and by state. Survey weights were applied in all analyses.Results:Among 55260 individuals with stroke (57.5% women), 57.8% reported using the internet in the preceding 30 days. The overall prevalence of internet use was similar between women (58.2%, 95% CI: 57.0-59.4%) and men (57.4%, 95% CI: 56.1-58.8%). Female stroke patients had higher internet use than their male counterparts until age 65+y (all p<0.0001, Figure 1a). Substantial differences in internet use by state were found for women and men with stroke, with stroke survivors in Louisiana reporting the greatest difference (women 51% vs. men 36%) (Figure 1b).Conclusions:Overall, less than 60% of US stroke survivors reported recent internet use, with marked variation by sex, age, and across states. Study findings may inform individual state’s actions to improve internet use among women 65+y who bear a greater stroke burden yet have lower internet use than men. Efforts to increase internet use in specific stroke patient subgroups may facilitate future telerehabilitation expansion and help to reduce sex- and age-based disparities currently present in post-stroke care.

Background:Younger women (≤55 years) are at higher risk for readmission within one-year of hospitalization following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to similarly aged men, yet there are no gender-specific risk prediction models for this population. Prior research suggests that gender-related factors more comprehensively explain sex-based differences in readmission risk. The objective was to develop and validate a risk prediction model of 1-year post-AMI readmission in young women considering demographic, clinical, and gender-related factors.Methods:We used data from women enrolled in the VIRGO study (n =2,007), a prospective observational study of young patients aged ≤55 years hospitalized with AMI in the US. Data were obtained from patient interviews, medical record abstraction, and adjudicated hospitalization records. Bayesian Model Averaging was used for model selection in a derivation cohort of 1338 women and subsequently validated in the remaining 669 women.Results:Within 1-year post-AMI, 684 (34.1%) women were readmitted at least once with a majority of readmissions due to cardiac causes (57.5%). The final model contained 9 predictors: experiencing any in-hospital complications, physical health at baseline (SF-12), disease-specific quality of life (Seattle Angina Questionnaire), diabetes, history of congestive heart failure, low income (≤30,000 USD), depression, length of hospital stay, and employment status (Figure). Of the 9 predictors, 5 were gender-related. The model was well calibrated (calibration plots) and exhibited modest discrimination (C statistic=0.66 in development and validation cohorts).Conclusions:Younger women with diabetes, depression, history of congestive heart failure, and longer hospital stays were more likely to be readmitted. While clinical factors were the strongest predictors of readmission within 1-year among younger women with AMI, gender-related variables were important complements.

Background:Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a core component of secondary prevention shown to improve quality of life and reduce all-cause mortality after myocardial infarction (MI). Depression is twice as prevalent among young women (18-44y) versus men with MI and is linked with worse post-MI outcomes, yet information on sex-specific associations of depression and CR attendance is limited, particularly among younger MI patients.Methods:Using data from the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 self-reported US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys, we assessed the association between depression and CR attendance in adults with MI using logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic factors. We calculated CR rates by sex and age subgroups for MI patients with and without depression. BRFSS survey weighting was applied to all analyses.Results:The study included 12,252 MI patients (44.2% women). CR attendance was comparable between MI patients with and without depression (36.1% vs 37.4%, p=0.440) (Figure 1a), and the association between depression and CR remained nonsignificant after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, and household income (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.00-1.35). CR attendance ranged from 19.0% to 51.0% across age and sex subgroups, with the lowest rate seen among women 18-44y with depression (Figure 1b). Women who were 45-64y and 65+y were less likely to attend CR than similarly aged men, regardless of depression status.Conclusions:Overall, just over one-third of patients with MI participated in CR, and depression was not associated with CR attendance. We found marked heterogeneity by subgroups, with lower CR rates observed for women across age groups, potentially putting them at higher risk for subsequent adverse cardiac events. Further research is needed to identify barriers leading to sex- and age-specific CR disparities to optimize attendance of post-acute care among subgroups, especially among younger women with depression.

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