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Biomedical subjects

J E Roeters van Lennep

Publications and source records attributed to J E Roeters van Lennep.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

[Decrease in hospital admissions due to cardiovascular diseases].

Since the late 1970s there has been a decline in cardiovascular mortality in the Netherlands. In recent years, the number of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease has decreased, whereas short-stay admissions and outpatients' visits are increasing. One explanation for this phenomenon, suggested by Koek et al. in this issue, is the limited availability and closure of hospital beds in recent years. However, there are other possible reasons for the decrease in cardiovascular mortality. First of all, there has been a substantial improvement in survival following acute myocardial infarction, mainly as a result of advances in the treatment. As all patients with an acute myocardial infarction are admitted anyway, the observed decrease in hospital admissions due to acute myocardial infarction reflects a decrease in the incidence as opposed to a decrease in the availability of hospital beds. Secondly, primary preventive measures aimed at modifying risk factors have been shown to result in a clear decrease in cardiovascular mortality. Lastly, mortality and morbidity due to chronic cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure, have decreased significantly. The range of options to adequately treat this category of patients has expanded considerably with, for example, the introduction of new drugs and biventricular pacemakers. There are many factors, other than the closure of hospital beds, which could explain the observed decline in the number of admissions due to cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Gender differences in diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease from 1981 to 1997. No evidence for the Yentl syndrome.

AIMS: The aim of the present clinical study was to evaluate whether gender-related differences existed as regards the extent and localization of coronary artery lesions in patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease, and whether these angiographic findings would lead to differences in further management. METHODS AND RESULTS: Over a 16-year period (1981-1997) we evaluated 1894 patients (1526 men, 368 women) with angiographically documented coronary artery disease (luminal stenosis >/=60%). For each patient the coronary angiographic results and subsequent revascularization procedures (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery) were analysed. The study period was divided into the early angioplasty years (1981 to 1989) and the current angioplasty years (1990-1997). No gender differences in extent and localization of coronary angiographic lesions were observed. In men and women the incidence of single-vessel disease was 42% and 40%, two-vessel disease 27% and 27%, three-vessel disease 26% and 24%, and left main disease 5% and 8%, respectively (P=ns). Localization of disease in men and women was 36% and 39% for the left anterior descending coronary artery, 34% and 32% for the right coronary artery, and 27% and 26% for the left circumflex coronary artery, respectively (P=ns). There was a significant shift from multi-vessel disease towards single-vessel disease in both men and women (both P<0.001). As to subsequent management, a significant gender difference in favour of women was observed (P=0.021). Over time, the number of angioplasty procedures increased significantly from 11.6% to 23.2% for men (P<0.001), and for women from 17.6% to 28.0% (P=0.025), whereas the number of coronary artery bypass procedures decreased in men from 34.9% to 29. 5% (P=0.024) and in women from 42.6% to 30.6% (P=0.019). Referral to angioplasty (n=535) and coronary artery bypass surgery (n=616) in relation to the extent of the disease did not show any gender bias in favour of men. CONCLUSIONS: Our angiographic findings did not show significant gender differences as regards the extent and localization of coronary artery disease in patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease. More importantly, no substantial evidence could be found for under-referral of women to subsequent therapeutic management. Therefore our study questions the presence of Yentl syndrome in the current era.

Aged↗

No gender bias in referral for coronary angiography after myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with technetium-99m tetrofosmin.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that the application of diagnostic and invasive procedures varies between men and women. The purpose of this study was to assess if referral for coronary angiography after technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in 616 patients with undiagnosed chest pain might demonstrate gender bias. METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary end point for this study was coronary angiography within 90 days of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Women had more normal perfusion images than men (207 [70.9%] vs 160 [50.5%], P < .05). Of 242 patients with abnormal images (157 men, 85 women), 28 men (17.7%) and 17 women (20.0%) were referred for further invasive testing (P = not significant). Referral for coronary angiography increased relative to the number of defects. Univariate analysis showed that reversible and persistent defects were the most predictive variables for referral to coronary angiography (odds ratio [OR] 5.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.10-9.58, P < .001, and OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.52-4.67, P = .001, respectively). More importantly, multivariate analysis showed that reversible perfusion defects (OR 4.77, 95% CI 2.48-9.17, P < .001) and persistent perfusion defects (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.11-4.14, P = .02) were predictive of subsequent coronary angiography. No significant association between gender and subsequent coronary angiography was found both in univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.37-1.12, P = .12, and OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.36-1.36, P = .28, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that after correction for the presence and the severity of myocardial perfusion abnormalities, men and women were referred to coronary angiography at a similar rate. Thus, based on the results of technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging, no substantial evidence for a gender-related bias could be found in the referral for further invasive testing.

Analysis of Variance↗