ASSOCIATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ACUTE DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Heart failure is a chronic disease requiring frequent admissions due to episodic acute cardiac decompensation. There are limited data describing gender based characteristics and group comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction in acute decompensated heart failure patients. The present study was conducted to determine the association of left ventricular ejection fraction with gender differences in patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure.

Methods:  A cross sectional observational study was carried out for fifteen months in a tertiary care hospital using universal sampling technique including patients with diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure using Framingham criteria. Left ventricular ejection fraction was determined using modified Simpson’s method.

Results: Among 386 patients, 54.4% were males and 45.6% females. Females had mean age of 72.8 ± 12.9 years as compared to 66.8 ± 11.2 years of males. Atrial fibrillation was observed in 30.47% males and 21.59% females. Among males, 44.3% had ischemic etiology while among females 43.2% had hypertensive etiology of heart failure. Left ventricular ejection fraction of >55% was observed in 35.8% female patients while <25% was present in 23.3% males.

Conclusion: Male patients suffered more from heart failure, atrial fibrillation and ischemic pathology; hypertension was the most common cause of heart failure in female patients.  Ejection fraction was also better preserved in females.