Understanding Sex Differences in Heart Failure: Clinical Insights and Treatment Gaps
In this compelling episode of the HF Beat, join hosts Michael Beasley, MD and Priya Umapathi, MD and an esteemed panel of experts, including Dr. Eileen Hsich, Dr. Anu Lala, and Dr. Ilan Goldenberg, as they delve into the nuanced world of sex differences in heart failure. This conversation spans three key topics: identifying traditional and sex-specific risk factors for heart failure, addressing disparities in diagnosis and treatment, and exploring the implications of these differences on therapeutic responses and device-based interventions. Highlights include discussions on underdiagnosis in women due to natriuretic peptide thresholds, CRT’s heightened benefits in women with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and the urgent need for inclusive clinical trials. With actionable insights and cutting-edge research, this episode equips heart failure clinicians with essential knowledge to better serve our heart failure patient population. Tune in to explore how advancing sex-specific research can transform heart failure care for all.
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Chapters and Guests:
Chapter 1: Understanding Sex Differences in Heart Failure with Michael and Guests
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00:43-8:10
- Eileen Hsich, MD, FHFSA, Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program at Cleveland Clinic
- Anuradha Lala-Trindade (Anu Lala), MD, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cardiac Failure, Associate Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
Chapter 2: Treatment Responses and Clinical Trials with Priya and Guests
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8:15-20:49
- Eileen Hsich, MD, FHFSA, Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program at Cleveland Clinic
- Ilan Goldenberg, MD, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Director, Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center at University of Rochester Medical Center
- Anuradha Lala-Trindade (Anu Lala), MD, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cardiac Failure, Associate Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
Chapter 3: Advancing Research and Addressing Disparities with Priya and Guests
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20:50-End
- Eileen Hsich, MD, FHFSA, Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program at Cleveland Clinic
- Anuradha Lala-Trindade (Anu Lala), MD, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cardiac Failure, Associate Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
References, Links and Disclosures
Contemp-ICD. CONTEMPICD. (n.d.). https://contemp-icd.org/
Goldenberg, I., Ezekowitz, J., Albert, C., Alexis, J. D., Anderson, L., Behr, E. R., Daubert, J., Di Palo, K. E., Ellenbogen, K. A., Dzikowicz, D. J., Hsich, E., Huang, D. T., Januzzi, J. L., Kutyifa, V., Lala, A., Onwuanyi, A., Piña, I. L., Sandhu, R. K., Sears, S., … Butler, J. (2025). Reassessing the need for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in contemporary patients with heart failure. Journal of Cardiac Failure. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2024.12.001
Hsich, E. M. (2019). Sex differences in Advanced Heart Failure Therapies. Circulation, 139(8), 1080–1093. https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.118.037369
Saxena, S., Goldenberg, I., McNitt, S., Hsich, E., Kutyifa, V., Bragazzi, N. L., Polonsky, B., Aktas, M. K., Huang, D. T., Rosero, S., Klein, H., Zareba, W., & Younis, A. (2022). Sex differences in the risk of first and recurrent ventricular Tachyarrhythmias among patients receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for primary prevention. JAMA Network Open, 5(6). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.17153
Bozkurt, B., Coats, A. J., Tsutsui, H., Abdelhamid, M., Adamopoulos, S., Albert, N., Anker, S. D., Atherton, J., Böhm, M., Butler, J., Drazner, M. H., Felker, G. M., Filippatos, G., Fonarow, G. C., Fiuzat, M., Gomez-Mesa, J., Heidenreich, P., Imamura, T., Januzzi, J., … Zieroth, S. (2021). Universal definition and classification of heart failure. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 27(4), 387–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2021.01.022
Bozkurt, B., Ahmad, T., Alexander, K., Baker, W. L., Bosak, K., Breathett, K., Carter, S., Drazner, M. H., Dunlay, S. M., Fonarow, G. C., Greene, S. J., Heidenreich, P., Ho, J. E., Hsich, E., Ibrahim, N. E., Jones, L. M., Khan, S. S., Khazanie, P., Koelling, T., … Ziaeian, B. (2025). HF stats 2024: Heart Failure Epidemiology and Outcomes Statistics an updated 2024 report from the Heart Failure Society of America. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 31(1), 66–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2024.07.001
