Trends of Sex Differences in Outcomes of Cardiac Electronic Device Implantations in the United States

Abstract

BackgroundThe disparity in outcomes of cardiac electronic device implantations between sexes has been previously demonstrated in device-specific cohorts (eg, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators [ICDs]). However, it is unclear whether sex differences are present with all types of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and, if so, what the trends of such differences have been in recent years. MethodsWith the use of the National Inpatient Sample, all hospitalizations from 2004 to 2014 for de novo implantation of permanent pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy with or without a defibrillator, and ICDs were analyzed to examine the association between sex and in-hospital acute complications of CIED implantation. ResultsOut of 2,815,613 hospitalizations for de novo CIED implantation, 41.9% were performed on women. Women were associated with increased adjusted odds (95% confidence interval) of adverse procedural complications (major adverse cardiovascular complications: 1.17 [1.16-1.19]; bleeding: 1.13 [1.12-1.15],-thoracic: 1.42 [1.40-1.44]; cardiac: 1.44 [1.38-1.50]), whereas the adjusted odds of in-hospital all-cause mortality compared with men was 0.96 (0.94-1.00). The odds of adverse complications in the overall CIED cohort were persistently raised in women throughout the study period, whereas similar odds of all-cause mortality across the sexes were observed throughout the study period. ConclusionIn a national cohort of CIED implantations we demonstrate that women are at an overall higher risk of procedure-related adverse events compared with men, but not at increased risk of all-cause mortality. Further studies are required to identify procedural techniques that would improve outcomes among women undergoing such procedures.