Sex-related differences in long-term mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background This meta-analysis assessed the sex-related differences in long-term mortality (≥7 years) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods We searched the databases Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science for studies reporting sex-specific differences in mortality following CABG. The search was not restricted to time or publication status. The primary endpoint of interest was long-term mortality (≥7 year or longer). Results A total of 1289 studies resulted from literature search. A total of 19 studies with 277,224 patients (60,858 women and 216,369 men) were included. The mean age was higher in women than men (66.5 vs. 63.1 years). Our analysis demonstrated that female sex was associated with higher long-term mortality (≥7 years) following CABG (odds ratio 1.17; 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.30; p < 0.01). Conclusions Our results suggest that women had higher long-term mortality following CABG compared with men. It is the largest study to date of sex-specific differences in long-term mortality (≥7 years).