Women represent 41% of participants in clinical trials investigating cardiovascular health and disease, according to a study published Aug. 31 in JAMA Network Open.
Led by researchers from Los Angeles-based Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, the study analyzed participant data of 1,079 cardiovascular clinical trials from between 2017 and 2023, a Sept. 2 news release from the health system said.
Here are three things to know from the study:
- Researchers applied a participation-to-prevalence ratio to identify the proportion of women in a clinical trial compared to the proportion of women who have the condition the trial is investigating.
- While the overall rate of women participating in cardiovascular clinical trials was 41%, the participation-to-prevalence ratios varied across disease types.
Ratios were lowest among trials for coronary heart disease, acute coronary syndrome and stroke. Obesity and pulmonary hypertension trials had higher female participation. - Women ages 19-55 were more likely to enroll in a clinical trial compared to women older than 60.
Women were more likely to participate in lifestyle intervention trials over procedural trials.
Read the full study here.
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