Background: Dyspnoea is a common symptom of chronic heart failure (CHF). In the community setting, patients with CHF are most often women.
Aim: To examine the impact of gender on the description of dyspnoea and to explore which clinical variables support a diagnosis of CHF.
Methods: From four primary health care centres, 158 patients with CHF were included. Patients were examined with echocardiography and a cardiologist assessed the diagnosis of CHF. The patients filled in a questionnaire containing 11 descriptors of dyspnoea.
Results: A diagnosis of CHF was confirmed in 87 (55%) patients (47 males and 40 females). One descriptor, I feel that I am suffocating, was significantly scored higher in CHF patients (p=0.014) as compared to non-CHF patients. Three descriptors, My breath does not go in all the way (p=0.006), I feel that I am suffocating (p=0.040), and I cannot get enough air (p=0.0327) were significantly scored higher among men with CHF, compared to no descriptor among women with CHF. Being male (OR=2.7; CI: 1.3-5.6, p=0.008), having diabetes (OR=5.6; CI: 1.7-18.2, p=0.004), IHD (OR=3.3; CI: 1.3-8.5, p=0.014), and a borderline significance for age (OR=1.04; CI: 0.99-1.08, p=0.058) predicted a confirmed diagnosis of CHF.
Conclusion: Three descriptors of dyspnoea were associated with CHF among men, whereas no such association was found among women. Our results suggest that gender is an important factor and should-together with age, underlying heart disease, and diabetes-be taken into account when symptoms are evaluated in the diagnosis of CHF in primary care.