Evaluate gender differences in patients with left main coronary artery disease

Left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) is a potentially life-threatening situation. The medical treatment of LMCAD can lead to critical cardiovascular events. The association between LMCAD and gender has been studied in the medical field.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran. At the beginning of the project, patient files were collected for 6,250 individuals who presented with heart complaints between 2016 and 2021 and underwent angiography examinations. These files were reviewed, and patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease during the angiography were identified.

After reviewing 6,250 angiography results from 2016 to 2021, it was found that 274 patients had significant stenosis in the left main coronary artery, resulting in a prevalence of LMCAD of 4.38%. The mean age of the 274 patients with LMCAD was 65.98 ± 10.29 years, and 22.63% of them had premature CAD. Males constituted 75.18% of the group, with 25.18% being smokers. Common comorbidities included hypertension (51.82%), diabetes (42.70%), and chronic kidney disease (13.50%). The gender-based analysis highlighted variations, with women being older on average (P = 0.007), more likely to have premature left main involvement (P = 0.011), and exhibiting lower rates of smoking (P < 0.001) and chronic kidney diseases (P = 0.013) but higher prevalence of hypertension (P < 0.001) and diabetes (P = 0.011) compared to men.

Our findings showed that these gender-specific differences are crucial for tailored management strategies in patients with left main coronary artery disease. Further research is needed to optimize outcomes for this high-risk population.