Hearts Apart: Exploring Sex Disparity in the Global and Regional Burden of Ischemic Heart Disease; a Systematic Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2021 Publisher Pubmed



Mahalleh M^{1, 2, 3} ; Narimanijavid R¹⁰ ; Izadpanahi K^{2, 3} ; Eshraghi R⁴ ; Behboodi K^{2, 3} ; Afzalian A^{2, 3} ; Hashempoor A⁵ ; Thachil R⁶ ; May H⁷ ; Waheed A⁸ ; Aronow WS⁹ ; Soleimani H^{2, 3} ; Hosseini K^{2, 3} Show Affiliations
Source: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders Published:2025

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, ischemic heart disease is less prevalent in women than in men, but this gap has narrowed in recent decades. This study aims to evaluate trends and gender differences in the global burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) across demographics and regions from 1990 to 2021. Methods: We utilized the data of the Global Burden of Disease Study from 1990 to 2021. The standard epidemiological measurements, including incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), were obtained to estimate the burden of IHD concerning age, sex, and the sociodemographic index, allowing for comparisons over time. Results: The sex parity ratio (SPR), defined as the ratio of females to males, has increased globally. The SPR of age-standardized prevalence (ASPR) and age-standardized incidence (ASIR) rose from 0.610 to 0.631 in 1990 to 0.653 and 0.670 in 2021, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, the SPRs for ASPR and ASIR of IHD increased across all age groups. However, the SPRs for the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and the age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) of IHD declined. This decrease in the SPR for both ASMR and ASDR of IHD was observed in most regions of this study. Conclusions: While progress has been made in reducing the burden of IHD, the increasing sex disparities in specific regions and age groups emphasize the need for continuous monitoring, adaptive health policies, and sex-specific healthcare practices to ensure equitable health outcomes for all populations. Clinical trial number: not applicable. © The Author(s) 2025.