Does age influence out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and outcomes among women? Insights from the Paris SDEC

Aims: Age and sex disparities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have been described. Reproductive age may have a protected effect on females vs. males, although results are conflicting. We aimed to clarify this using the Paris Sudden Death Expertise Centre (SDEC) registry.

Methods and results: The Paris SDEC registry collects OHCAs occurring in the Greater Paris Area. We included all OHCAs of presumed cardiac causes occurring between 2013 and 2018. Patients were divided into age groups: 1-13, 13-50, 50-75, and >75 years. Sex and age disparities in OHCA incidence and outcomes were analysed using multivariable negative binomial and logistic regression models. There were 19 782 OHCAs meeting inclusion criteria: 0.37% aged 1-13 years, 12.4% aged 13-50 years, 40.4% aged 50-75 years, and 46.9% aged >75 years. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) in females vs. males were for the youngest to the older age groups: 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-2.13], 0.54 [0.49-0.59], 0.60 [0.56-0.64], and 0.75 [0.67-0.84]. At reproductive age, females were more likely than males to have a return of spontaneous circulation [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.60 (1.27-2.02)], to be alive at hospital admission [OR: 1.49 (1.18-1.89)]. In both sexes, patients aged 13-50 years were more likely to survive at hospital discharge than those aged 50-75 years [males: OR 1.81 (1.49-2.20), females: 2.24 (1.54-3.25)]. However, at reproductive age, no sex disparity was observed in survival at hospital discharge [OR: 1.16 (0.75-1.80)].

Conclusion: Incidence rate ratios were similar between pre- and post-menopausal aged patients. At reproductive age, no sex disparity in survival at hospital discharge was observed, suggesting that menopausal status may not influence OHCA occurrence and prognosis.