Sex difference in inappropriate therapy and survival among 1471 implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator recipients

INTRODUCTION: To assess a potential relationship between sex and outcome in recipients of an implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD). METHODS AND RESULTS: All 1471 ICD recipients between 2000 and 2015 were sex‐related analyzed with the following outcome parameters: overall survival (OS), the occurrence of inappropriate and appropriate antitachycardia pacing (ATP), and shock therapy. We followed 1206 (82%) male and 265 (18%) female ICD recipients during 4.1 ± 3.6 and 4.3 ± 3.8 years, respectively, (P = .369). Kaplan‐Meier analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in OS between female and male patients (P = .132). After adjustment for relevant confounding factors in a multivariate model, sex remained a nonsignificant predictor of overall mortality (hazard ratio [male] = 1.11; P = .493). Negative binomial regression analysis revealed that women received less appropriate ATP therapy (rate ratio [RR] = 0.37; P = .043), whereas rates of appropriate shock therapy (RR = 1.95; P = .369) did not differ between women and men. No significant differences were observed in the occurrence of inappropriate ATP (RR = 1.22; P = .715) and inappropriate shock therapy (RR = 0.64; P = .121). CONCLUSION: Female and male patients equally benefit from ICD therapy in terms of OS. Women are less likely to receive appropriate ATP therapy, whereas appropriate shock and inappropriate ATP and shock therapy are independent of sex.