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Is there an innate sex-based difference in the manner in which the left ventricle responds to the pressure overload of aortic stenosis?

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Numerous investigators have suggested that women are particularly prone to develop an exaggerated LV hypertrophy (LVH) response to increased developed pressure as compared to men. This has been best exemplified in both HTN and aortic stenosis (AS) states and has been proposed euphemistically as 'exuberant hypertrophy'. This reference implies that there is an inappropriate physiologic amplification to the typical and necessary hypertrophic response for any given blood pressure/afterload experienced by the LV. Furthermore, it suggests that there is a divergent response at the gene level to explain this phenomenon. The implications for this are vast, potentially calling for distinct sex-based clinical treatment programs. The societal ramifications for differential therapy are immense as our resources are limited. On the other hand, the majority of the inferences of this dichotomized observation have stemmed from 2D echocardiography and consequently may be artifactual if evaluated in a 3D CMR manner.

Source: Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

DOI: 10.1186/1532-429x-11-s1-p237