COMPARISON OF PREOPERATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN AND WOMEN UNDERGOING CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS-GRAFTING (THE POST CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT [CABG] BIOBEHAVIORAL STUDY)

A cohort of 759 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients (269 w omen and 490 men) was enrolled in the prospective POST CABG Biobehavio ral Study at 5 clinical centers in the United States and Canada. Socio demographic and medical data were obtained by interview and from medic al charts. Health-related quality of life and psychosocial data were a scertained preoperatively by interview and questionnaire for those pat ients whose condition allowed preoperative assessment and was compared among patients from hospitals enrolling both male and female patients (143 women and 267 men). Women enrolled in the Biobehavioral Study we re older than men (65.4 +/- 9.0 vs 61.8 +/- 9.7 years, p < 0.001) and more likely to have a preoperative medical condition which precluded b iobehavioral evaluation (47% vs 34%, p < 0.001). Women were less likel y to be high school graduates (59% vs 74%, p < 0.001), were less likel y to be earning greater than or equal to$25,000 per year (39% vs 69%, p < 0.001), and were married less often at the time of surgery (59% vs 85%, p < 0.001). Fewer women than men were able to perform basic self -care activities (p < 0.001) and social activities (p < 0.001). Women were also less able to perform the more demanding activities required for independent living, recreation, and maintaining a household (p < 0 .001). Women were also more anxious (p = 0.01) and reported more depre ssive symptoms (p < 0.001) than men. These data suggest that plans for perioperative and convalescent care for women undergoing CABG should take into account their less favorable medical and psychosocial status relative to men. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.