Risk for MACCE, Mortality Higher for Women With Severe CAD Undergoing PCI Versus CABG

TUESDAY, Jan. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For women with severe coronary artery disease (CAD), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with increased risks for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and all-cause mortality compared with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to a study published online Nov. 25 in the European Heart Journal.

Kevin R. An, M.D., M.P.H., from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at the University of Toronto, and colleagues compared long-term outcomes of PCI and CABG in women with chronic severe CAD in a propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study. A total of 2,469 women underwent PCI and 3,721 underwent CABG; 2,033 pairs were identified after propensity score matching.

The researchers found that MACCE was higher with PCI versus CABG at a median follow-up of 5.1 years (hazard ratio, 1.81). Compared with CABG, all-cause mortality was higher with PCI (hazard ratio, 1.34), as was cardiovascular readmission (myocardial infarction, heart failure, or stroke; hazard ratio, 1.40).

“For now, treatment decisions should remain individualized,” An said in a statement. “Although our study suggests that bypass surgery may offer more long-term protection compared to stents, anatomical considerations, individual surgical risk, and patient preferences remain critical.”

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