Addressing Barriers for Women with Advanced Heart Failure

Purpose of Review Describe disparities in diagnosis and management between men and women with advanced heart failure (HF). Our goal is to identify barriers and suggest solutions. Recent Findings Women with advanced HF are less likely to undergo diagnostic testing and procedures (i.e., revascularization, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization therapy, mechanical circulatory support, and orthotopic heart transplantation). Summary Disparities related to gender create less favorable outcomes for women with advanced HF. The issues arise from access to care, paucity of knowledge, enrollment in clinical trials, and eligibility for advanced therapies. In this review, we propose a call to action to level the playing field in order to improve survival in women with advanced HF.