Gender differences of response to various options of drug therapy in patients with chronic heart failure after suffered myocardial infarction

Aim. To evaluate gender features of treatment in patients with chronic heart failure who suffered myocardial infarction, determine the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers II, as well as antidepressants in the clinico-functional and psycho-emotional status, morphological and functional parameters of the heart in the treatment of men and women with this pathology.

Methods. The study included 205 men and 185 women with chronic heart failure after suffering a myocardial infarction. Patients were randomized into three groups. Patients of the first group (80 men and 70 women) received background treatment (cardiac glycosides, diuretics, aldosterone antagonists, prolonged nitrates if necessary, acetylsalicylic acid, atorvastatin and perindopril 5-10 mg/day. The patients of the second group (80 men and 70 women) received valsartan 80-160 mg/day in addition to the above-noted background treatment. In the therapeutic regimen of the third group of patients (45 men and 45 women) sertraline in a dose of 50 mg/day was included in addition to background treatment. All the patients underwent usual methods of general clinical examination, the 6-minute walk test, clinical status evaluation, the anxiety syndrome severity assessment using a Hamilton scale, echocardiography. The patients dynamic monitoring was carried out for 6 months.

Results. The study results showed that provided therapy has comparable clinical effect in both men and women in all three groups. Statistically significant improvement in clinical condition indicators was reported and as a result, exercise tolerance increased. At the same time the quality of life improvement was more pronounced (p <0.001) in patients of the third group, amid the perindopril and sertraline use. According to the results of our study in patients of all three groups provided therapy has a comparable positive effect on echocardiography indicators, including those which characterize left ventricular hypertrophy.

Conclusion. Amid the provided treatment in all three groups positive dynamics of clinical status indicators and intracardiac dynamics was reported; in addition to that the dynamics of both clinical status and linear and volumetric heart parameters was more pronounced amid the treatment with perindopril in combination with sertraline.