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Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Meyer, S; Teerlink, JR; Metra, M; Ponikowski, P; Cotter, G; Davison, BA; Felker, GM; Filippatos, G; Greenberg, BH; Hua, TA; Severin, T ...
Published in: Clin Res Cardiol
April 2017

AIMS: Women with heart failure are typically older, and more often have hypertension and a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction as compared with men. We sought to analyze if these sex differences influence the course and outcome of acute heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed sex differences in acute heart failure in 1161 patients enrolled in the RELAX-AHF study. The pre-specified study endpoints were used. At baseline, women (436/1161 patients) were older, had a higher left ventricular ejection fraction, a higher rate of hypertension, and were treated differently from men. Early dyspnea improvement (moderate or marked dyspnea improvement measured by Likert scale during the first 24 h) was greater in women. However, dyspnea improvement over the first 5 days (change from baseline in the visual analog scale area under the curve (VAS AUC) to day 5) was similar between men and women. Women reported greater improvements in general wellbeing by Likert, but no such benefits were evident with the VAS score. Multi-variable predictors of moderate or marked dyspnea improvement were female sex (p = 0.0011), lower age (p = 0.0026) and lower diuretic dose (p = 0.0067). The additional efficacy endpoints of RELAX-AHF were similar between men and women and serelaxin was equally effective in men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Women exhibit better earlier dyspnea relief and improvement in general wellbeing compared with men, even adjusted for age and left ventricular ejection fraction. However, in-hospital and post-discharge clinical outcomes were similar between men and women. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00520806.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Clin Res Cardiol

DOI

EISSN

1861-0692

Publication Date

April 2017

Volume

106

Issue

4

Start / End Page

280 / 292

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventricular Function, Left
  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • Sex Factors
  • Sex Distribution
  • Relaxin
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Prognosis
  • Male
  • Length of Stay
 

Citation

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MLA
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Meyer, S., Teerlink, J. R., Metra, M., Ponikowski, P., Cotter, G., Davison, B. A., … Voors, A. A. (2017). Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study. Clin Res Cardiol, 106(4), 280–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-016-1051-4
Meyer, Sven, John R. Teerlink, Marco Metra, Piotr Ponikowski, Gad Cotter, Beth A. Davison, G Michael Felker, et al. “Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study.Clin Res Cardiol 106, no. 4 (April 2017): 280–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-016-1051-4.
Meyer S, Teerlink JR, Metra M, Ponikowski P, Cotter G, Davison BA, et al. Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study. Clin Res Cardiol. 2017 Apr;106(4):280–92.
Meyer, Sven, et al. “Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study.Clin Res Cardiol, vol. 106, no. 4, Apr. 2017, pp. 280–92. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s00392-016-1051-4.
Meyer S, Teerlink JR, Metra M, Ponikowski P, Cotter G, Davison BA, Felker GM, Filippatos G, Greenberg BH, Hua TA, Severin T, Qian M, Voors AA. Sex differences in early dyspnea relief between men and women hospitalized for acute heart failure: insights from the RELAX-AHF study. Clin Res Cardiol. 2017 Apr;106(4):280–292.
Journal cover image

Published In

Clin Res Cardiol

DOI

EISSN

1861-0692

Publication Date

April 2017

Volume

106

Issue

4

Start / End Page

280 / 292

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventricular Function, Left
  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • Sex Factors
  • Sex Distribution
  • Relaxin
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Prognosis
  • Male
  • Length of Stay