Clinical and analytical profile of women participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program

It is known that women with ischemic heart disease have different etiologies and prognoses compared to men, despite sharing similar risk factors. However, little is known about differences in their analytical profiles and outcomes in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. This study analyzes gender-related differences among patients participating in a CR program at a tertiary care hospital.

A total of 550 patients who participated in a CR program between January 2022 and September 2024 were evaluated. Risk factors, functional capacity (measured by exercise testing), quality of life (assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire), and analytical profiles at different time points were examined. Chi-square and Student’s t-tests were used for statistical analysis.

The mean age was 58 years, with women representing 22% of the sample. Hypertension (HTN) affected 55% of participants, diabetes mellitus (DM) 29%, and 52% were smokers. Ninety percent presented with acute coronary syndrome, and 93% had coronary artery disease. Women showed a similar prevalence of HTN, DM, and smoking, but a higher prevalence of normal weight and lower prevalence of overweight (38% vs. 51%, p=0.003). They were more frequently enrolled due to stable angina or heart failure and had fewer affected coronary vessels. Women exhibited lower baseline functional capacity (6.7 vs. 8.6 METs, p=0.000) and poorer baseline quality of life (49 vs. 56 points, p=0.004), although improvement was comparable between genders. Analytical results showed higher levels of lipoprotein(a) in women (>50 mg/dl: 41% vs. 25%; >120 mg/dl: 11.5% vs. 3.6%, p=0.003). Although total cholesterol and LDL levels were higher in women, the percentage reduction in LDL was similar (31% vs. 36%). At baseline, women had lower triglyceride levels (128 vs. 148 mg/dl, p=0.02), higher HDL levels (49 vs. 41 mg/dl, p=0.00), and a lower TG/HDL ratio (2.87 vs. 3.94, p=0.001).

In our sample, women showed a risk factor profile similar to that of men but had fewer affected coronary vessels. Analytically, they presented a higher prevalence of elevated lipoprotein(a) and less atherogenic dyslipidemia. The outcomes of the CR program were comparable between genders.

Baseline characteristics