Women under 70 with severe aortic stenosis had significantly greater ejection fraction (66.2% vs 52.0%, p=0.0032) and smaller LV mass index (211.4 vs 270.9 g/m2, p=0.017) compared to men.
Cross-Sectional (n=40)
Does gender influence left ventricular adaptive response in patients under 70 years of age with severe aortic stenosis?
In patients under 70 with severe aortic stenosis, women exhibit a different left ventricular adaptive response characterized by smaller cavity dimensions, lower mass index, and higher ejection fraction compared to men.
OBJECTIVE: To verify if adaptive left ventricle (LV) characteristics are also present in individuals under 70 years of age with severe aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS: The study comprised 40 consecutive patients under 70 years of age with AS and no associated coronary artery disease, referred for valve surgery. Out of the 40 patients, 22 were men and 18 women, and the mean age was 49.8 +/- 14.3 years. Cardiac symptoms, presence of systemic hypertension (SH), functional class according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA), and valve lesion etiology were considered. LV cavity dimensions, ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), mass (MS), and relative diastolic thickness (RDT) were examined by Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: Fourteen (63.6%) men and 11 (61.6%) women were classified as NYHA class III/IV (p = 0.70). There was no difference in the frequency of angina, syncope or dyspnea between genders. The incidence of SH was greater in women than in men (10 versus 2, p = 0.0044). Women had a smaller LV end-diastolic diameter index (32.1 +/- 6.5 x 36.5 +/- 5.3 mm/m2, p = 0.027), LV end-systolic diameter index (19.9 +/- 5.9 x 26.5 +/- 6.4 mm/m2, p = 0.0022) and LV mass index (MS) (211.4 +/- 71.1 x 270.9 +/- 74.9 g/m2, p = 0.017) when compared with men. EF (66.2 +/- 13.4 x 52.0 +/- 14.6%, p = 0.0032), FS (37.6 +/- 10.7 x 27.9 +/- 9.6%, p = 0.0046) and RDT (0.58 +/- 0.22 x 0.44 +/- 0.09, p = 0.0095) were significantly greater in women than in men. CONCLUSION: It is the patient gender rather than age that influences left ventricular adaptive response to AS.
Rocha et al. (Thu,) conducted a cross-sectional in severe aortic stenosis (n=40). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on Left ventricular geometry and function. Women under 70 with severe aortic stenosis had significantly greater ejection fraction (66.2% vs 52.0%, p=0.0032) and smaller LV mass index (211.4 vs 270.9 g/m2, p=0.017) compared to men.