Late Breaking Abstract - Sex disparities in Respiratory Medicine. A Swiss cohort study

<bold>Background:</bold> Despite increasing recognition of sex differences in cardiovascular disease, the consideration of sex disparities in respiratory medicine remains under-investigated. This study aims to analyze sex-specific variations in the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of respiratory diseases in a Swiss public hospital. <bold>Methods:</bold> A 2-year retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients presenting with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and pulmonary embolism (PE) at the Cantonal Hospital Baselland. <bold>Results:</bold> A total of 795 patients were included in the study. The majority of statistically significant differences were observed in patients with PE , followed by COPD, CAP and asthma. Disparities were identified across multiple aspects, encompassing demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, outcomes, and patients’ management. Females with PE presented higher rates of tachycardia and additional deep vein thrombosis, received lysis therapy promptly, but had longer hospital stays and more transfers. In COPD, women experienced exacerbations at a slightly younger age, with higher rates of depression, while men had more cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In CAP, males had a higher prevalence of atypical pneumonia and more frequent antibiotic therapy adjustments. Asthma showed no significant sex differences, although women tended to present at an older age with elevated CRP levels. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> This study identified several sex-based differences in the presentation, management, and outcomes of respiratory diseases. Our results underscore the importance of considering sex disparities in respiratory medicine to optimize patient care and outcomes.