Women’s heart and echocardiography

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Review. Population: Cardiovascular disease in women. Intervention: Echocardiography.

So Ree Kim; Seong-Mi Park

doi:10.1186/s44348-026-00091-8

August 31, 2026Journal of Cardiovascular ImagingOpen Access

Women’s heart and echocardiography

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Key result

Echocardiography requires sex-specific reference values to accurately diagnose cardiovascular disease in women.

Why the study?

In women, smaller cardiac size, higher baseline ejection fraction, and technical limitations may affect echocardiographic interpretation across relevant cardiovascular conditions.

Key Points

To review the physiological characteristics, sex-specific reference values, and clinical role of echocardiography across cardiovascular conditions relevant to women.
Narrative review synthesizing echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure, ventricular function, and hemodynamics across shared and female-specific cardiovascular conditions.
Comparison of guideline-established normal two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic reference measurements between men and women.
Women demonstrate lower left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions (45.0 ± 3.6 mm vs. 50.2 ± 4.1 mm) and smaller biplane end-diastolic volumes (76 ± 15 mL vs. 106 ± 22 mL) compared to men.
Normal left ventricular ejection fraction is higher in women (64% ± 5% vs. 62% ± 5%), with a normal reference range of 54%–74% in women compared to 52%–72% in men, and more negative global longitudinal strain (-21% ± 3% vs. -19% ± 3%).
Left ventricular hypertrophy thresholds differ by sex (>95 g/m² in women vs. >115 g/m² in men), while diastolic function Doppler thresholds remain uniform.

PICO

P

Population

Cardiovascular disease in women

I

Intervention / Comparator

Echocardiography

This review emphasizes the importance of recognizing sex-specific echocardiographic reference values and phenotypes to improve the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases in women.

Limitations

Image quality may be compromised by poor acoustic windows or attenuation from breast tissue or breast implants.
The technique remains operator-dependent, introducing potential variability in measurements.
Women have higher false-positive rates during stress echocardiography.

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Implication

Echocardiography aids evaluation of female-specific CVD; leaves open prospective validation of sex-specific norms before broader guideline adoption.

Abstract

Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for evaluating cardiovascular disease, providing comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure, function, and hemodynamics. Its noninvasive nature, wide availability, and absence of radiation make it particularly suitable for repeated use, including in younger women and during pregnancy. Moreover, women-specific cardiovascular diseases are not uncommonly detected by echocardiography. However, smaller cardiac size, higher baseline ejection fraction, and technical limitations in women may affect interpretation. This review highlights the role of echocardiography across cardiovascular conditions relevant to women, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, coronary microvascular dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, and valvular heart disease. It also addresses stress-induced cardiomyopathy, physiological changes during pregnancy, and peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Kim et al. (2026) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease in women. Echocardiography was evaluated. Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for evaluating cardiovascular disease in women, requiring consideration of sex-specific physiological differences and reference values for accurate diagnosis.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a96f058c00de92d9bfbd852 https://doi.org/10.1186/s44348-026-00091-8

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Women’s heart and echocardiography

Key Points

PICO

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Women’s heart and echocardiography

Key Points

PICO

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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