Sex-related differences in the angiographic results of 14,500 cases referred for suspected coronary artery disease.

Objective: To investigate sex differences of angiographic results in patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We retrospectively assessed the coronary angiograms of 2840 women and 11,610 men from 1984 to 2003. We examined sex differences regarding the extent and topography of significant stenoses (SS) (i.e. > or =50% of the luminal diameter), the age of presentation, and the variation of the annual frequency of the angiographic findings across the study period.

Results: SS were recorded in 1817 women and 9984 men (64 vs. 86%, P<0.001). Women were more likely to present with nonsignificant stenoses (i.e. <50% of the luminal diameter) or angiographically normal coronaries (P<0.001). In patients with SS, women had a higher chance to present with one-vessel (P<0.001) or peripheral branches (P<0.05) disease, whereas men were more likely to have two-vessel disease (P<0.005). Compared with men, women were less likely to exhibit SS in the right coronary artery (P<0.001), left circumflex (P<0.01), intermediate artery (P<0.01) and first obtuse marginal branch (P<0.01). No significant sex differences were recorded in the frequency of SS in the left anterior descending artery. In patients aged from 31 to 60 years, SS were more common in men, whereas in patients 61-80 years of age SS were more common in women. The annual frequency of SS in women gradually increased throughout the study period.

Conclusion: SS were less common in women, were found later in life, and were less likely to involve the right coronary artery, left circumflex, intermediate artery and first obtuse marginal branch than in men.