Do ejection fraction and other gated stress rest myocardial perfusion parameters differ by age and gender?

We have studied the end-diastolic volume (EDV), the end-systolic volume (ESV), and the ejection fraction (EF) for patients who had normal results on treadmill exercise tests and perfusion scans. We also studied normal wall motion as diagnosed by gated myocardial perfusion imaging with the quantitative gated single photon emission tomography (QGSPECT) software set to launch a range of normal values. In addition, we evaluated differences based on age and gender.

All subjects with normal results on Bruce exercise and myocardial perfusion imaging QGSPECT using the 2-days stress-rest technetium-99m (99mTc) sestamibi protocol were enrolled in the study. The quantitated functional data of EDV, ESV, and EF using the QGSPECT software were assessed in the rest and stress studies. The association of quantitated functional data with age and sex at both stress and rest was studied in 78 subjects with no symptoms from the cardiovascular system and normal QGSPECT imaging, 29 males (mean age: 58.41 ± 9.0 years) and 49 females (mean age: 58.18 ± 9.0 years). Also studied were differences between males and females.

Our results showed that in women compared with men only stress EF showed a significantly higher value (P = 0.02), whereas all other parameters including REF, SESV, SEDV, RESV, and REDV did not demonstrate a significant difference between men and women (P value > 0.05).

The study showed that EF as determined by the QGSPECT technique should be considered as gender-matched normative parameter.