More women surviving heart surgery
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — There has been a marked decline in early death after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), particularly in women, study results indicate. Nevertheless, women remain at higher risk of early death after CABG than men, owing in part to the smaller size of their coronary arteries.Researchers evaluated gender differences and trends in 30-day mortality after CABG in all adults who had the procedure between 1991 and 2004 in the province of British Columbia, Canada. In a study population comprising 20,229 men and 4,983 women, the overall 30-day mortality declined significantly from 3.1 percent to 1.9 percent during the 14-year period, report Dr. Karin H. Humphries from University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and colleagues in the current Journal of the American College of Cardiology.