Patient–physician sex concordance and outcomes in cardiovascular disease: a systematic review
Lamia Harik, Ko Yamamoto, Takeshi Kimura, Lisa Q. Rong, Birgit Vogel, Roxana Mehran, C Noel Bairey-Merz, Mario Gaudino
Abstract
The sex disparity in outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease is well-described and has persisted across recent decades. While there have been several proposed mechanisms to explain this disparity, there are limited data on female patient-physician sex concordance and its association with outcomes. The authors review the existing literature on the relationship between patient-physician sex concordance and clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease, the evidence of a benefit in clinical outcomes with female patient-physician sex concordance, and the possible drivers of such a benefit and highlight directions for future study.