Background: The debate on whether sex-specific predictive models improve risk stratification after myocardial infarction is ongoing.
Methods: This review summarises the current clinical knowledge on sex-specific differences in post-infarction risk stratification parameters. Particular focus is given to electrocardiographic risk factors and indices of cardiac autonomic status.
Results: Differences in the underlying pathophysiology between men and women are known. However, clinical findings often lead to uncertain conclusions for a number of risk predictors including, among others, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence, QT interval duration, and QRS-T angle. The review links recent findings in prognostic parameters with successful approaches in sex-specific non-invasive risk stratification.
Conclusion: Disparities are described in the current clinical opinions on the relevance of investigated parameters in women and possible directions for further research in the field are given.