Key result
Female sex linked to ~4-ms shorter QRS duration in major LBBB vs males.
Why the study?
Left bundle branch block requires identification of underlying pathology such as ischemic heart disease and appears more commonly associated with normal coronary arteries in women, prompting a comparison of its particularities between sexes.
Are there sex differences in electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and angiographic characteristics among patients with left bundle branch block and ischemic heart disease?
Cross-Sectional (n=70)
No
Are there sex differences in electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and angiographic characteristics among patients with left bundle branch block and ischemic heart disease?
In patients with left bundle branch block and ischemic heart disease, women are more likely than men to have normal epicardial arteries with microvascular dysfunction.
Left bundle branch block is not a benign pathology, and its presence requires the identification of a pathological substrate, such as ischemic heart disease. Left bundle branch block appears to be more commonly associated with normal coronary arteries, especially in women. The objectives of our study were to describe the particularities of left bundle branch block in women compared to men with ischemic heart disease. Result: We included seventy patients with left bundle branch block and ischemic heart disease, with a mean age of 67.01 ± 8.89 years. There were no differences in the profile of risk factors, except for smoking and uric acid. The ventricular depolarization (QRS) duration was longer in men than women (136.86 ± 8.32 vs. 132.57 ± 9.19 msec; p = 0.018) and also men were observed to have larger left ventricular diameters. Left bundle branch block duration was directly associated with ventricular diameters and indirectly associated with left ventricular ejection fraction value, especially in women (R = −0.52, p = 0.0012 vs. R = −0.50, p = 0.002). In angiography, 80% of women had normal epicardial arteries compared with 65.7% of men; all these patients presented with microvascular dysfunction. Conclusion: The differences between the sexes were not so obvious in terms of the presence of risk factors; instead, there were differences in electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and angiographic aspects. Left bundle branch block appears to be a marker of microvascular angina and systolic dysfunction, especially in women.
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Gurzau et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Major left bundle branch block and ischemic heart disease (n=70). Female sex vs. Male sex was evaluated on Ventricular depolarization (QRS) duration in milliseconds (p=0.018). Female patients with major left bundle branch block had a significantly shorter QRS duration compared to male patients (132.57 vs 136.86 msec) and smaller ventricular diameters.
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