The relationship between gender and clinical management after exercise stress testing

Background Controversy remains regarding whether gender differences exist in clinical management after exercise treadmill testing (ETT). Methods We studied 7,506 patients (49.8% women) without documented coronary heart disease referred for ETT from July 2001 to June 2004 in a community-based setting. We assessed the relationship between gender and subsequent diagnostic testing (secondary stress testing or coronary angiography) within 6 months after ETT. Secondary outcomes included subsequent stress testing, coronary angiography, and new cardiology visits in the 6-month interval. Multivariable analyses assessed the relationship between gender and these outcomes adjusting for demographic, clinical, and stress test characteristics. In subsequent analyses, patients were stratified by Duke Treadmill Scores (Duke University, Durham, NC). Results Compared with men, women referred for ETT were older, had a higher prevalence of some cardiac risk factors, achieved lower peak workloads, and, more often, experienced chest pain or ST-segment changes. After accounting for differences in clinical and ETT parameters, gender was not associated with any subsequent diagnostic testing in the 6 months after ETT (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.85-1.18). In secondary analyses, women were less likely to undergo angiography (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.83) with a trend toward more subsequent stress testing. Stratified analyses revealed less subsequent testing in high-to-intermediate Duke Treadmill Score women compared with men (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.79). Women and men were equally likely to die (hazards ratio 0.93, 95% CI 0.61-1.44) in the adjusted survival analysis. Conclusions Overall, women and men equally underwent subsequent diagnostic testing after ETT. Although women were less likely to undergo angiography and higher-risk women were less likely to undergo subsequent testing, adverse events were not higher in women. Given these findings, assumptions regarding gender disparities in clinical management after ETT should be reevaluated in other settings.