The ACC Latin America 2026 conference will feature four studies that explore sex-based and regional disparities in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) management and outcomes across Latin America, focusing on women as a higher risk, yet underrepresented, patient group. The researchers use overlapping STEMI data that pulls from across Latin America, including the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and South America. STEMI is the most serious type of heart attack.
Among the key findings of the studies, the researchers found that women with STEMI experienced worse clinical outcomes than men and had a higher risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease and past stroke. The research showed that women are significantly underrepresented among STEMI patients in Latin America, making up only 21% of patients in a shared cohort of 5,766. Cardiometabolic risk was heightened based on the geographic region, with the patients in the Caribbean maintaining the highest risk. The researchers recommend implementing region-specific prevention strategies across this expansive cohort.
The four studies are:
- Management and Outcomes of STEMI in Latin America: A Sex-Based Analysis
- Sociodemographic and Clinical Phenotypes of Women with STEMI in Latin America
- Women with STEMI in Latin America: A High-Risk Phenotype with Regional Disparities
- Sex Disparities Among Young STEMI Patients Across Latin America
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