Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a growing problem in the United States
and worldwide, imposing a high individual and health system burden,
including increased resource consumption due to repeated
hospitalizations, stroke, dementia, heart failure, and death. This
comprehensive review summarizes the most recent data on sex-related
differences in risks associated with AF. Women with AF have increased
risk of stroke and death compared to men, and possible reasons for this
disparity are explored. Women also continue to have worse symptoms and
quality of life, and poorer outcomes with stroke prevention, as well as
with rate and rhythm control management strategies. Many current rhythm
control treatment strategies for AF, including cardioversion and
ablation, are used less frequently in women as compared to men, whereas
women are more likely to be treated with rate control strategies or
anti-arrhythmic drugs. Sex differences should be considered in treating
women with AF to improve outcomes and women and men should be offered
the same interventions for AF. We need to improve the evidence base to
understand if variation in utilization of rate and rhythm control
management between men and women represents health inequities or
appropriate clinical judgement.