[Gender-specific aspects of chronic coronary artery disease in everyday practice. Results of the AURORA health care study].

Background: Sex/gender differences pose a challenge in the care of patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) especially in the resident sector. The aim of the AURORA trial was to obtain a nationwide overview on how resident cardiologists deal with sex/gender-specific aspects of symptomatic chronic CAD in their medical routine care and in the interplay with general practitioners, as well as derive insights out of it for general practice.
Method: Between October 2018 and April 2019 a survey among German cardiologists (n = 360) in the outpatient sector was performed using a structured questionnaire. Items focused on the cardiologists' personal assessment of sex/gender aspects in the diagnosis and treatment and consequences for the overall medical care of patients with chronic CAD.
Results: The range of symptoms of chronic CAD in male and female patients was differently assessed by the participating male or female cardiologists. General practitioners referred men at an earlier stage than women to a cardiologist for further testing. In male and female patients with non-obstructive CAD cardiovascular risk was largely assessed as comparable to patients with obstructive CAD. In terms of medical care, it was shown that therapeutic decisions made by cardiologists were generally considered and continued by the general practitioners.
Conclusions: Results from previous trials on sex/gender differences in ischemic heart disease have made their way into medical care. However, they also show potential for optimization in diagnosis, treatment and collaboration between resident cardiologists and general practitioners. Overall the results indicate that sex/gender differences in chronic CAD gain more medical attention. However, there is a current lack of concise sex-specific guidelines for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.