Influence of sex on outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients over 75 years of age with coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether there were sex differences in in-hospital and long-term outcomes for elderly patients over 75 years of age undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary heart disease. METHODS: Consecutive patients aged ≥75 years who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention at a single center in the People’s Republic of China from January 2005 to December 2010 were included in this cohort study. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital and long-term outcomes were compared between men and women. RESULTS: A total of 465 patients (34.8% women, mean age 78.5±3.2 years) were recruited. Men had a higher prevalence of ST elevation myocardial infarction but were less likely to have heart failure than women (P<0.05). Similar rates of successful in-hospital procedures and deaths were observed in men and women. After a mean follow-up of 3 years, no significant differences were observed between men and women in mortality (12.5% versus 8.0%, P=0.151), myocardial infarction (1.4% versus 2.7%, P=0.368), target vessel revascularization (6.1% versus 4.7%, P=0.540), or cerebral vascular disease (7.9% versus 6.0%, P=0.472). Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that sex was not independently associated with either in-hospital mortality or long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients over 75 years of age, sex influences the prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary heart disease.