Korean Circ J.  2009 Oct;39(10):423-427. 10.4070/kcj.2009.39.10.423.

Gender Differences Among Korean Patients With Coronary Spasm

• Lee JH
• Lee H
• Bae MH
• Kwon YS
• Lee JH
• Ryu HM
• Park Y
• Yang DH
• Park HS
• Cho Y
• Chae SC
• Jun JE
• Park WH

• KMID: 2028923
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2009.39.10.423

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm have not been defined. We thus determined the gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients with chest pain and/or syncope who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between January 2001 and August 2008 were included. Provocation of coronary vasospasm with intracoronary ergonovine maleate was performed when baseline coronary angiography showed no significant stenosis or there was a strong clinical suspicion of coronary spasm. The clinical characteristics were analyzed from 104 consecutive patients (56+/-9 years of age; 21 females) who were diagnosed with coronary spasm. RESULTS: Female patients were younger (52+/-7 vs. 57+/-10 years, p=0.046) with lower rates of smoking and alcohol consumption histories than male patients (19% vs. 65%, p<0.001; and 43% vs. 89%, p<0.001, respectively). The other clinical characteristics were not significantly different, except for the triglyceride levels. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with coronary spasm were males who were smokers and alcohol consumers. The female patients had lower rates of smoking and alcohol consumption, and they were younger than the male patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the relevance of gender differences in the pathogenesis of coronary spasm.

Keyword

Coronary vasospasm; Sex differences

MeSH Terms

Alcohol Drinking
Chest Pain
Constriction, Pathologic
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Vasospasm
Ergonovine
Female
Humans
Male
Maleates
Sex Characteristics
Smoke
Smoking
Spasm
Syncope
Ergonovine
Maleates
Smoke

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