Sex Differences in Frequency of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living after Cardiac Rehabilitation and Its Impact on Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure

Although instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are included in the outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), the relationship between IADL frequency at the end of CR and outcomes between the sexes remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the differences in frequency of IADL between the sexes and its impact on the outcomes. We retrospectively investigated 490 consecutive patients who were admitted for heart failure (HF) and participated in CR post-discharge. IADL frequency was assessed using the questionnaire-based Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). The primary endpoint was all-cause death, and the secondary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death and readmission due to HF. The cut-off values of the FAI for all-cause death in the overall cohort, females, and males were 23, 22, and 23 points, respectively. After adjusting for several factors, IADL assessed using the FAI was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.961, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.937-0.986) and combined events (HR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.952-0.985), respectively. Additionally, there was no interaction between sex and all-cause mortality. In conclusion, higher IADL frequency after CR was associated with favourable outcomes in patients with HF.

Automated summary

This study investigated the differences in IADL frequency between the sexes at the end of cardiac rehabilitation and its impact on outcomes in patients with heart failure. The results showed that higher IADL frequency was independently associated with reduced all-cause mortality and combined events. Additionally, there was no difference in the relationship between sex and all-cause mortality.