Gender differences in patients with structural heart disease undergoing VT ablation

This study sought to examine gender differences in patients with structural heart disease (SHD) referred for ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Female patients are often underrepresented in large studies. Significant differences in the clinical presentation, treatment, and prognosis of female patients have been described in previous studies.

We investigated 88 female patients with SHD undergoing VT ablation (mean age 59 years, 56% nonischemic cardiomyopathy, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 35%, 82% in electrical storm). A case-control study with 88 male patients was performed and the results regarding clinical and procedural characteristics, acute and long-term results of the two groups were compared. The female patients had more arrhythmogenic substrate, as they more commonly presented with electrical storm (p = .016) and had a higher number of inducible VT morphologies during the procedure (p = .018). Moreover, the female patients were less likely to have an optimized heart failure medical treatment at baseline (p = .030) and required more time from the first manifestation of the VT to ablation referral (p = .034). Although fewer epicardial ablations were performed in female patients (p = .019), the two groups showed similar results regarding VT noninducibility as ablation endpoint (p = .844), major procedure-related complications (p = .719) and freedom from VT during follow-up (p = .268). Moreover, the overall mortality in the two groups was similar (p = .176). Advanced NYHA class was associated with worse transplant and assist-device-free survival in the female group.

Female patients presenting for VT ablation had more arrhythmogenic substrate and were less likely to have an optimized heart failure medical treatment. Nevertheless, the procedural acute and long-term outcomes between the two genders were similar.