Gender Differences in Healthy Lifestyle Adherence Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Coronary Artery Disease.

Abstract

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in Australian women. We identified gender differences in healthy lifestyle adherence in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CAD. Method(s): Consecutive patients were prospectively recruited from three Australian institutions (2016-2017). The primary endpoint at 1 year follow-up was healthy lifestyle adherence defined as 3/3 of: a heart-healthy diet, being physically active and not smoking. Secondary endpoints included cardiac rehabilitation attendance, medication use and lipid levels. Result(s): From 729 participants (n=192, 26.3% women) 56% were adherent to all three lifestyle measures with no gender difference overall. Compared to men, women were less likely to smoke (7.7% versus 12.2%, p<0.001) to be physically active (61.5% versus 78.2%; p<0.0001), attend cardiac rehabilitation (58.2% versus 66.4%; p<0.045), and take statin therapy (85.4% versus 94.7%; p<0.0001). Female gender independently predicted physical inactivity (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.57-3.68, p<0.001). Conclusion(s): Important gender differences exist in patients treated with PCI for CAD, namely, significant lower physical activity, cardiac rehabilitation attendance and statin use in women. These all represent key targets for gender-specific secondary prevention interventions.Copyright © 2020