Women Less Likely to Get Heart Defibrillators

SOURCE: MedlinePlus Health News (HealthDay)

DATE:  October 2, 2007

EXCERPT:  "Women are less likely than men to receive implantable defibrillators, and black patients are less likely than white patients to receive the lifesaving heart devices.  ...  Two studies documenting these findings echo previous research, and confirm that little progress has been made in this area of inequity."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Hernandez AF, Fonarow GC, Liang L, Al-Khatib SM, Curtis LH, LaBresh KA, Yancy CW, Albert NM, Peterson ED. Sex and racial differences in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators among patients hospitalized with heart failure. JAMA. 2007 Oct 3;298(13):1525-32.

Curtis LH, Al-Khatib SM, Shea AM, Hammill BG, Hernandez AF, Schulman KA. Sex differences in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. JAMA. 2007 Oct 3;298(13):1517-24.