Sex differences in presentation of atrial fibrillation: Findings from 30-day ambulatory monitoring in real-world practice

Women are less likely to receive oral anticoagulation or ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Identification of sex differences in arrhythmia characteristics and symptoms may lead to a better understanding of potential reasons for these differences. To determine sex differences in AF with respect to heart rate, duration, burden, and symptoms in patients undergoing mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) monitoring. All patients who registered for ≤30-day MCT using PocketECG (MediLynx) in the USA in 2017 were included (n = 27,512, 58 % women). PocketECG records and transmits a three-lead ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) with real-time beat-to-beat analysis. Sex-related differences were analyzed with Chi2 and Spearmans rho. Fewer women than men were diagnosed with AF lasting ≥30s (13.7 % versus [vs] 19.0 %, p