Gender differences in systolic tissue velocity: role of left ventricular length

AIMS: Previous research has described differences in left ventricular (LV) systolic tissue velocity between genders. This study aimed to determine the association between LV tissue velocity and LV size in healthy controls and in those with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS AND RESULTS: LV tissue velocities were measured in 71 controls and 222 patients with T2DM by pulsed-wave Doppler and colour-coded tissue Doppler (TDI) during systole (S' and S(m)) and diastole (early, E' and E(m), and late, A' and A(m)) at the basal septum and lateral wall. Both systolic tissue velocities were higher in males than in females within controls (S': 7.3 +/- 1.2 vs. 6.6 +/- 1.0 cm/s; P = 0.017, S(m): 6.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.7 cm/s; P = 0.002) but only by colour-coded TDI in patients with T2DM (S(m): 5.7 +/- 1.7 vs. 4.9 +/- 1.7 cm/s; P = 0.025). Correction for LV length negated the difference between genders in the controls and patients with T2DM (P > 0.05 for all). In controls, LV length was the strongest predictor of S' (beta = 0.393, P = 0.002), whereas height was the strongest predictor of S(m) (beta = 0.394, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: In controls, systolic tissue velocities are significantly higher in males compared with females, which may be explained by the increased chamber size of men.