Sex Differences in Pulmonary Hypertension and Associated Right Ventricular Dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Sex Differences in Medicine

Background:

• Previous research focused on sex differences in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), leaving other pulmonary hypertension (PH) hemodynamic subtypes less explored.
• This study investigates sex-based variations across all PH hemodynamic subtypes and their association with right ventricular (RV) function.

Conclusions:

• Significant sex differences exist in PH prevalence across hemodynamic subtypes, with women more often having pre-capillary PH and men more often having post-capillary PH.
• Women with PH exhibit enhanced RV function and a reduced risk of heart failure hospitalization compared to men.
• Understanding these sex disparities is crucial for refining risk stratification and developing targeted, sex-specific therapies for PH.