Differences between male and female patients with regard to baseline demographics and clinical outcomes in the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) Trial.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common problem in men and women; however, men and women with similar clinical presentations of myocardial ischemia may receive different revascularization treatments.

Hypothesis: Using the data base of the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) trial, this study was undertaken to compare by gender the baseline demographic data and the clinical outcome results in patients randomized to various treatments in the ACIP study.

Methods: This randomized trial compared three treatment regimens [pharmacologic management of angina, pharmacologic management of angina and ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of ischemia, and revascularization--that is, angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery], in patients with known CAD, positive stress ECG tests, and ECG evidence of ischemia during 48 h ambulatory monitoring. In all, 558 patients were randomized, 79 of whom were women (mean age: men 61.6 years, women 60.6 years) Ambulatory ECG evidence of ischemia, clinical events, that is, death, myocardial infarction, hospital admission for coronary events, and exercise performance were monitored.

Results: Although of the same age as men at baseline, women had a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. Women had less severe CAD by angiography and higher left ventricular ejection fractions. Men had longer exercise tolerance times on the treadmill. However, men and women had similar numbers and duration of ambulatory ECG ischemic abnormalities. Regarding revascularization, men more commonly underwent coronary artery bypass surgery (p = 0.025) while women underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty more frequently (p = 0.10). Clinical outcomes were comparable in men and women, although the numbers of events were relatively small.

Conclusions: Men and women of comparable age manifest CAD with similar ischemic ECG abnormalities seen on both exercise tolerance and ambulatory ECG examinations. In ACIP, women tended to have more risk factors for CAD and less severity in anatomical disease, which may explain why women are less likely than men to have coronary bypass surgery.