Aim: To describe mortality, risk indicators of death, mode of death and symptoms of angina pectoris during 5 years after coronary artery bypass grafting in women and men.
Sample: All patients in western Sweden who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting without concomitant valve surgery and without previously performed coronary artery bypass grafting between June 1988 and June 1991.
Results: In all, 2000 patients participated in the evaluation, 381 (19%) of whom were women. Compared to men, who had a 5-year mortality of 13.3%, women had a relative risk of death of 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-1.8; P = 0.03). Renal dysfunction interacted significantly (P = 0.048) with gender, in that the differences were more marked in patients without renal dysfunction. When adjusting for differences at baseline, the relative risk of death amongst women was 1.0 (95% CL 0.7-1.3). Compared to men, women had an increased risk of in-hospital death and death associated with stroke. However, amongst the patients who died, the place and mode of death appeared to be similar in women and men. Amongst survivors after 5 years, women had more symptoms of angina pectoris than men.
Conclusion: During 5 years after coronary artery bypass grafting, women had an increased mortality compared to men; renal dysfunction seemed to interact with female gender regarding mortality. Women had a higher risk of in-hospital death and death associated with stroke. However, the adjusted relative risk of death during 5 years was equal in women and men. Amongst survivors, women suffered more from angina pectoris than men.