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Review
. 2020 Feb;132(3-4):61-68.
doi: 10.1007/s00508-019-01603-x. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Gender-specific differences in valvular heart disease

Christian Nitsche  1 , Matthias Koschutnik  1 , Andreas Kammerlander  1 , Christian Hengstenberg  1 , Julia Mascherbauer  2
Affiliations
Review

Gender-specific differences in valvular heart disease

Christian Nitsche et al. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

The development of new devices and treatment options has greatly increased the interest in heart valve diseases. In this context, the consideration of gender differences in diagnosis, treatment success, and prognosis is of great importance. Available data show that women and men with heart valve disease have different risk profiles, which have a significant impact on treatment outcomes and prognosis.It is the purpose of this review article to give an overview of gender-related differences in patients with valvular heart disease, regarding clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes. In light of the emerging treatment possibilities, future research should emphasize the role of gender since both sexes benefit from tailored management.

Keywords: Aortic stenosis; Mitral regurgitation; Sex; Tricuspid regurgitation; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

C. Nitsche, M. Koschutnik, A. Kammerlander, C. Hengstenberg, and J. Mascherbauer declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Outcomes following surgical aortic valve replacement. Survival rates after surgical aortic valve replacement are comparable between sexes across age groups apart from the fifth age quintile (78 years or older), where women showed superior survival as compared to men. (Figure printed with permission from Fuchs et al. [7])
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Differences in outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Women with severe aortic stenosis (AS) experience lower mortality rates compared to men following trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). HR hazard ratio, CI confidence interval. (Figure printed with permission from Chandrasekhar et al. [14])
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Gender-related differences in low-gradient, low-ejection fraction aortic stenosis. Women suffer worse outcomes after intervention for low-gradient, low-ejection fraction AS in comparison to men. (Figure printed with permission from Bartko et al. [17])
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Outcomes following minimally invasive mitral valve surgery. Women experience worse long-term survival after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery as compared to men. (Figure printed with permission from Seeburger et al. [33])
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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