Sex difference among patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in northern China.

Background: Unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on gender-specific patients with ULMCA in the Chinese population and provide a basis for further treatment of PCI in ULMCA disease.

Methods: 173 patients (female, N = 52; male, N = 121; mean age = 61.02 ± 7.95) with ULMCA disease, who underwent PCI between January 2010 and December 2014, were investigated in our study. The mean follow-up time was 23.8 ± 7.3 months. The baseline clinical characteristics, coronary angiography (CAG) and PCI procedures, and in-hospital and follow-up outcomes of gender-specific patients were evaluated.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics with the exception of body weight, height, and smoking indexes between women and men. During PCI procedure, femoral artery puncture was more preferred in women than men (P < .05), whereas radial artery puncture was more preferred in men than women (P < .05). The characteristics of CAG and PCI procedures (except puncture path) were showed with no markedly difference between women and men. The incidences of MACCEs in male patients during the in-hospital and follow-up periods were slightly higher than those of the female patients although with no statistical differences.

Conclusion: In northern China, the incidence of ULMCA disease in men is likely to be higher than in women, whereas PCI for ULMCA disease shows similarly favorable outcomes in women as well as in men. During the PCI procedure, femoral artery puncture in women and radial artery puncture in men are recommended.