Gender differences in clinical manifestations of Brugada syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to assess differences in phenotype and prognosis between men and women in a large population of patients with Brugada syndrome.

Background: A male predominance has been reported in the Brugada syndrome. No specific data are available, however, concerning gender differences in the clinical manifestations and their role in prognosis.

Methods: Patients with Brugada syndrome were prospectively included in the study. Data on baseline characteristics, electrocardiogram parameters before and after pharmacological test, and events in follow-up were recorded for all patients.

Results: Among 384 patients, 272 (70.8%) were men and 112 (29.2%) women. At inclusion, men had experienced syncope more frequently (18%) or aborted sudden cardiac death (6%) than women (14% and 1%, respectively, p = 0.04). Men also had greater rates of spontaneous type-1 electrocardiogram, greater ST-segment elevation, and greater inducibility of ventricular fibrillation (p < 0.001 for all). Conversely, conduction parameters and corrected QT intervals significantly increased more in women in response to sodium blockers (p = 0.03 and p = 0.001, respectively). During a mean follow-up of 58 +/- 48 months, sudden cardiac death or documented ventricular fibrillation occurred in 31 men (11.6%) and 3 women (2.8%; p = 0.003). The presence of previous symptoms was the most important predictor for cardiac events in men, whereas a longer PR interval was identified among those women with a greater risk in this series.

Conclusions: Men with Brugada syndrome present with a greater risk clinical profile than women and have a worse prognosis. Although classical risk factors identify male patients with worse outcome, conduction disturbances could be a marker of risk in the female population.