Sex differences in the quality-of-life and functional outcome of cardiac arrest survivors

Abstract Aim Although survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is improving, little is known about the long-term outcome of survivors. In this study, we assess the impact of sex on 12 month functional recovery and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes in OHCA survivors. Methods Between 2010 and 2016, consecutive adult OHCA survivors were invited to participate in structured telephone interviews using the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOSE), the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), and 12-Item Short Form (SF-12) health survey. Results Of the 2300 patients discharged alive, 175 (7.6%) died during the follow-up period with the rate of death at 12 months being higher in women compared to men (10.4% vs. 6.4%; p = 0.002). Of the 2125 12 month survivors, 1752 (82.5%) participated in the interviews. Unadjusted outcomes were consistently poorer for females compared to males, with fewer women reporting good functional recovery (GOSE ≥ 7, 53.5% vs. 64.8%, p  Conclusions Women report poorer functional recovery and HRQoL after OHCA. Further research is needed to better understand the reasons for these disparities.