Gender differences in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Abstract

Background: Clinical and morphological features of myocardial infarction (MI) have significant gender differences, but for a long time this problem was not given much attention. In this regard, the issue of gender characteristics of the course and outcomes of MI has become more relevant.

Methods: The study included 100 patients with acute ST-elevation MI (STEMI) who were admitted to the Grodno Regional Cardiological Center (Belarus) for treatment from January to November 2024. Group 1 included 50 female patients, while Group 2 included 50 male patients. All patients underwent clinical, laboratory, and instrumental studies. Statistical analysis was performed using «STATISTICA 12.0».

Results: Female patients were significantly older than males (62.1±9.1 vs 57.6±9.2, p=0.017). Both groups were comparable in prevalence of hypertension and obesity (p>0.05), however females more often had diabetes mellitus (p=0.047). There were no intergroup differences in values of total cholesterol (p=0.23), triglycerides (p=0.54) and low-density lipoproteins (p=0.45), however high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were higher in females (p=0.034). Also, male patients with STEMI had higher troponin levels (p<0.001). Both volumetric parameters in M-mode and LV end-diastolic volume in B-mode showed significant differences (p<0.05), being greater in males.

Conclusions: Female patients with STEMI were characterized by higher prevalence of anterior MI and diabetes mellitus, as well as higher level of glucose and HDL. Male patients had higher levels of high sensitivity troponin levels, as well as larger LV volumes. All these parameters can potentially contribute to further investigations in treatment and prognosis in patients with MI.