The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Multicenter Study
Are there age and sex differences in the investigation and treatment of heart failure? A population-based study.
Heart failure is a serious, common, and growing problem. Hospital admissions, which account for the bulk of health service costs associated with heart failure, are becoming more frequent. ⋯ With increasing age, men and women with heart failure were less likely to have undergone echocardiography or to have received an ACE inhibitor. When account was taken of age, there were no statistically significant sex differences in management; however, because of the demographic distribution of heart failure, women are disproportionately affected by age differences in management. Clinical trials, physician practice, and service developments in heart failure have neglected older people. This balance should be redressed.