Heart Failure in Women

Heart failure (HF) in women is one of the leading causes in women after coronary artery diseases. There are gender differences at every aspect of HF. These females usually present in older age with significant comorbidities. Even though there are few risk factors common to males and females for the development of HF, diabetes and hypertension are considered more stronger association for the development of HF in females than in males. There are certain sex-specific factors such as abnormal pregnancies and breast cancer therapies in addition to genetic predisposition for the development of cardiomyopathies, especially postpartum cardiomyopathy in female. Usually, females have HF with preserved ejection fraction when compared to men who more frequently have HF due to reduced ejection fraction. Even in the left ventricular remodeling to injury is different in both sexes. The main aim of this review is to bring the sex differences in HF and to stress the need of separate guidelines for females with HF for better outcome.