Treatment Plans, Outcomes Better for Women With ACS and Low-Risk HEART Score

Salena M. Preciado, from Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, and colleagues found that women with suspected acute coronary syndrome who have low-risk History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, and Troponin, or HEART scores, have more appropriate testing and better outcomes than men,

Preciado and her colleagues, according to medicalxpress.com, analyzed 34,715 adult emergency department encounters evaluated for suspected acute coronary syndrome with a documented HEART score

The researchers found that more women were classified as low risk, 60.5% of women versus 52.4% of men. 

Compared with men, women were hospitalized or received stress testing less often for low HEART scores (18.8% versus 22.8%) and intermediate HEART scores (46.7% versus 49.7%), but these percentages were similar for women and men with high HEART scores (74.1% versus 74.4%).

Even after adjustment for HEART score and comorbidities, women had lower odds of hospitalization or noninvasive cardiac testing. For all HEART score categories, men had a higher risk for major adverse cardiac events than women, with a significantly higher risk for low-risk HEART scores (0.4% versus 0.1%).

“We found after implementation of the HEART score that women received more appropriate care than men with physicians less likely to recommend low-value cardiac testing for lower and intermediate risk levels, and comparable care for those at high risk,” a coauthor said in a statement.