Background: Diabetes is a significant risk factor in patients with non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Sex-related differences in clinical course of NSTEMI have not been extensively studied.
Material and methods: During one year all consecutive patients presenting with NSTEMI and diabetes were enrolled. A total of 298 (158 women and 140 men) were analyzed. Clinical presentation, applied treatment and prognosis were compared between women and men.
Results: Women tended to be older. More men smoked cigarettes. Pharmacological approach was similar in both groups. Men underwent revascularization more often. Despite those differences both short- and long-term mortality were comparable.
Conclusion: Despite the common knowledge on negative influence of diabetes and female sex in NSTEMI patients, in multivariate analysis only age and three or four Killip class on admission were significant.