Gender Bias in Heart Transplants? - East Idaho News
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Gender Bias in Heart Transplants?

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GETTY 071014 SurgeryHeart?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1405004553188iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Today’s “Men versus Women” story comes from the world of medicine.

A new study indicates women in the U.S. have a higher chance of dying while awaiting a heart transplant than men, and part of the reason may be unfairness in the heart allocation system.

The study published in the journal JACC: Heart Failure looked at more than 28,000 adults on the waiting list for donor hearts from 2000-2010, and ranked the patients according to their health when they were added to the list.

Patients were ranked in three categories: 1A for most urgent in need of a transplant; 1B for those slightly more stable; and Class 2 for the most healthy.

The study found that women ranked 1A had worse chances of survival compared to men because they were less likely to receive a heart transplant.

Why?  The authors believe women may be less likely than men to be “bridged” with a ventricular assist device known as a VAD machine or an artificial heart until a transplant was available.  The authors note that there was no information available to indicate why this is the case.


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