Sex-Specific Risk Factors for Short- and Long-Term Outcomes after Surgery in Patients with Infective Endocarditis

Sex differences in infective endocarditis: a Danish nationwide study

PURPOSE

Sex differences in infective endocarditis (IE) are reported, but patient characteristics are sparse and conflicting findings on the association between sex and short-term outcomes demand further research. We aimed to characterize sex differences in IE in terms of patient characteristics, frailty, microbiology, socioeconomic status, management and outcome on a nationwide scale.

METHODS

Between 2010 and 2020, we used Danish national registries to characterize patients with IE according to sex using ICD codes and microbiological lab reports. Frailty was assessed with the Hospital Frailty Risk Score. Mortality was reported with Kaplan-Meier estimates. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used for adjusted analyses.

RESULTS

We included 6259 patients with IE with 2047 (32.7%) female patients and 4212 (67.3%) male patients. Female patients were older (median age 75.0 years (64.3-82.2) vs. 71.7 (61.7-78.9)) and more frail (Intermediate frailty: 36.5% vs. 33.1%, High frailty: 11.4% vs. 9.2%). Staphylococcus aureus-IE were most common in both sexes (34.6% vs. 28.8%), but fewer female patients had Enterococcus-IE (10.5% vs. 18.1%). Female patients were less surgically treated (14.0% vs. 21.2%). Female sex was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (adj. OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.16-1.52), but no statistically significant difference in associated 1- and 5-year mortality from hospital discharge were identified (adj. HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.95-1.24 and 1.02, 95% CI 0.92-1.12, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Female sex is associated with increased in-hospital mortality, but not in long-term mortality as compared with male patients. Female patients have a lower prevalence of Enterococcus-IE and rates of surgery. Further research is needed to understand these differences.

Sex differences and outcomes in surgical infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND

Cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant hospital mortality, and female sex may be associated with worse outcomes. However, the impact of sex on the presenting characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients operated on for acute infective endocarditis (IE) has not been adequately studied.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of our study was to analyse differences in management and outcome of IE between women and men who undergo surgery.

METHODS

Clinical data of 717 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for IE between December 2005 and December 2019 were prospectively collected. Sex-related postoperative outcomes including in-hospital mortality were recorded. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify potential sex-related determinant of in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

In all, 532 male patients (74.2%) and 185 female patients (25.8%) underwent surgery for IE. At baseline, women had more frequent mitral regurgitation with 63 patients (34.1%) than men with 135 patients (25.4%) (P = 0.002). Female sex was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (23.2% versus 17.3%, P = 0.049). However, multivariable analysis revealed age (P < 0.01), antibiotics < 7 days before surgery (P = 0.01) and staphylococcal IE (P < 0.01) but not female sex (P = 0.99) as independent determinants of hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of patients operated-on for IE, female sex was associated with more severe manifestations of IE and significantly higher in-hospital mortality. However, after multivariable analysis, initial presentation, but not sex, seemed to determine clinical outcomes.

Sex Differences in Epidemiological Distribution and Outcomes of Surgical Mitral Valve Disease

BACKGROUND

Mitral valve (MV) disease is the most common form of valvular heart disease. Findings that indicate women have a higher risk for unfavorable outcomes than men remain controversial. This study aimed to determine the sex-based differences in epidemiological distributions and outcomes of surgery for MV disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Overall, 18,572 patients (45.3% women) who underwent MV surgery between 2001 and 2018 were included. Outcomes included in-hospital death and all-cause mortality during follow up. Subgroup analysis was conducted across different etiologies, including infective endocarditis (IE), degenerative, ischemic, and rheumatic mitral pathology. The overall MV repair rate was lower in women than in men (20.5% vs. 30.6%). After matching, 6,362 pairs (woman : man=1 : 1) of patients were analyzed. Women had a slightly higher risk for in-hospital death than men (10.8% vs. 9.8%; odds ratio [OR]: 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-1.24; P=0.075). Women tended to have a higher incidence of de novo dialysis (9.8% vs. 8.6%; P=0.022) and longer intensive care unit stay (8 days vs. 7.1 days; P<0.001). Women with IE had poorer in-hospital outcomes than men; however, there were no sex differences in terms of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex-based differences of MV intervention still persist. Although long-term outcomes were comparable between sexes, women, especially those with IE, had worse perioperative outcomes than men.

2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association (AHA), in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and obesity) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose control, and metabolic syndrome) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, brain health, complications of pregnancy, kidney disease, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, sudden cardiac arrest, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, valvular disease, venous thromboembolism, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The AHA, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States and globally to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing. The 2024 AHA Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort in 2023 by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and AHA staff members. The AHA strives to further understand and help heal health problems inflicted by structural racism, a public health crisis that can significantly damage physical and mental health and perpetuate disparities in access to health care, education, income, housing, and several other factors vital to healthy lives. This year's edition includes additional global data, as well as data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, with an enhanced focus on health equity across several key domains.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Sex Differences in Infective Endocarditis: A Systematic Review

Despite the advancement in medicine, there is still a lack of understanding of the sex disparities in disease onset, progression, treatment, and outcome. In some life-threatening acute conditions, despite most patients with these illnesses being males, females have a significantly higher chance of mortality. This can be due to the differences in disease progression or healthcare disparities in managing the illness between the sexes. Treatment of illnesses tends to be more conservative for women without an explanation, but this disparity is due to the healthcare provider. Infective endocarditis (IE) is an acute life-threatening condition where bacteria latch onto and seed damaged endocardium, with some preliminary information reporting differences between the sexes. This paper aims to evaluate the sex disparities in the incidence, age, comorbidities, etiology, risk factors, manifestations, treatment, and outcomes of IE. From 2003-2023, 21584 articles were found that focused on the sex differences in IE and, through PRISMA guidelines, were narrowed down to 34 publications. There are significant differences between the sexes in IE, such as a significantly higher incidence of IE in males, who also tend to be older and have their native aortic valves involved, compared to younger females who have their mitral valve involved. Comorbidities also vary between the sexes; females tend to have atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, psychiatric disorders, and taking immunosuppressants compared to males who suffer from chronic liver disease, underlying valve disease, and peripheral artery disease, contributing to the ease of developing IE. While the most common microorganism leading to IE is Staphylococcus aureus, females were more likely to have culture-negative IE, and men were more likely to be infected with Streptococcus viridans. Major manifestations in IE are fever and vegetation along the closure of the valves in the heart, where females were more likely to have vegetation on the mitral and aortic valves. At the same time, males were more likely to have it on the tricuspid valve. On par with sex disparities in health, females usually took longer to seek medical help than males despite the advancement of symptoms and deterioration. Females were also treated conservatively through antibiotic management, whereas males were more likely to advance to surgical treatment, leading to a longer hospital stay. While there was no true difference in the in-hospital mortality rate, the 30-day and 1-year mortality were significantly increased in females. These differences provide a range of starting points for various research to further educate physicians on sex disparities, such as why males have a higher incidence of infective endocarditis and determining whether it's hormones and basic metabolites, possibly limiting those who develop the infection. Another important point is treating females with IE; the antibiotic doses are standard, but whether they advance to surgical treatment is mostly up to the provider. Some providers deny surgical treatment despite all indications, but it could also be females denying surgery as they tend to leave against medical advice. This review is crucial in developing the next steps to sex disparity in IE, which may lead to better outcomes for males and females.

Commensal Streptococcal Infective Endocarditis of the Native Mitral Valve in a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Patient: A Heartful, a Handful, and a Mouthful

An 88-year-old woman with an extensive medical history presented to the hospital with altered mental status, vague abdominal pain, and dysuria. A previous transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) prosthesis was known to be failing and was suspected to have acquired a vegetation. No other infective endocarditis (IE) stigmata were present. Fortunately, the work-up for replacement was allowed to proceed with a broader cardiac examination from which a mitral vegetation was identified and IE then treated.