[Cardiac arrhythmias in women]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to review published data on gender differences in cardiac electrophysiology and in the presentation and clinical treatment of arrhythmias. The evidence from studies published to date show that women have a higher mean resting heart rate, a longer QT interval, a shorter QRS duration, and a lower QRS voltage than men. Women have a higher prevalence of sick sinus syndrome, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia, idiopathic right ventricular tachycardia, and arrhythmic events in the long-QT syndrome. In contrast, men have a higher prevalence of atrioventricular block, carotid sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia due to accessory pathways, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, reentrant ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden death, and the Brugada syndrome. With regard to implantable devices, it has been reported that defibrillators offer similar benefits in men and women. Moreover, there is no gender difference in the percentage who respond well to resynchronization therapy: survival is similar in the two sexes. However, it should be noted that few women have participated in studies of all types of therapy, including catheter ablation, resynchronization therapy, and the use of implantable defibrillators.