Title:Electrocardiographic and Cardiac Autonomic Indices - Implications of Sex-Specific Risk Stratification in Women After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Volume: 22
Issue: 25
Author(s): Romy Ubrich, Petra Barthel, Anna Berkefeld, Katerina Hnatkova, Katharina M Huster, Michael Dommasch, Daniel Sinnecker, Alexander Steger, Georg Schmidt and Marek Malik
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Women, heart rate, heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence, baroreflex sensitivity, QT width, QRS T-angle, AMI.
Abstract: Background: The debate on whether sex-specific predictive models improve risk
stratification after myocardial infarction is ongoing. Methods: This review summarises the
current clinical knowledge on sex-specific differences in post-infarction risk stratification
parameters. Particular focus is given to electrocardiographic risk factors and indices of cardiac
autonomic status. Results: Differences in the underlying pathophysiology between men
and women are known. However, clinical findings often lead to uncertain conclusions for a
number of risk predictors including, among others, resting heart rate, heart rate variability,
heart rate turbulence, QT interval duration, and QRS-T angle. The review links recent findings
in prognostic parameters with successful approaches in sex-specific non-invasive risk
stratification. Conclusion: Disparities are described in the current clinical opinions on the
relevance of investigated parameters in women and possible directions for further research in
the field are given.
