PMID- 36259727 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20221215 LR - 20221221 IS - 1540-8167 (Electronic) IS - 1045-3873 (Linking) VI - 33 IP - 12 DP - 2022 Dec TI - Women are underrepresented in cardiac resynchronization therapy trials. PG - 2653-2657 LID - 10.1111/jce.15715 [doi] AB - INTRODUCTION: Current guidelines for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implant are the same across both sexes however women have been traditionally underrepresented in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aimed to identify if the number of women included in CRT trials is representative of the real-world burden of heart failure (HF) in women. METHODS: RCTs evaluating the benefit of CRT in HF patients referenced in the 2012 EHRA/HRS expert consensus statement on CRT in HF were included. Studies were evaluated for gender representation, baseline variables, and gender-based analysis of outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 10 CRT trials including 8107 patients were studied. Of the total patient population in these RCTs, only 23% were women. Analysis of outcomes based on sex was reported only in 5 out of 10 trials. Of these five trials reporting sex-based outcomes, multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial with cardiac resynchronization therapy (MADIT-CRT) and resynchronization-defibrillation for ambulatory heart failure trial (RAFT) showed a greater benefit in women compared to men. Both MADIT and RAFT trials had a lower ejection fraction (EF) cut-off in the inclusion criteria (EF