Male heart attack patients fare better after having a procedure to open clogged arteries than female patients, say researchers based on results from a recent study. The study, conducted in Taiwan, looked at mortality rates and other factors among a group of about 870 men and about 160 women who underwent balloon angioplasty to clear blocked arteries following a heart attack. While both sexes had about the same success rate for the initial procedure, after 30 days, women were significantly more likely to have died than men: nearly 15 percent compared to about 7.5 percent.
Researchers attribute the difference to the fact women in the study were older than the men, had more health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and greater blockage of the arteries, and had more complications while in the hospital, including congestive heart failure and bleeding.Researchers conclude saying that , the greater number of women in the advanced-age category and the higher prevalence of comorbid conditions in women played key roles in explaining the higher 30-day mortality rate in women than in men.
