Comparison of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Expression in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy on the Basis of Sex

Abstract

Background and aim In the face of evidence concerning the cardioprotective effects of estrogen, we decided to examine whether left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) expression in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is dependent on sex. To determine the postulated inhibitive influence of estrogen on the extent of LVH, we compared women and men in age-matched subgroups, respectively, according to the premenopausal and combined peri- and postmenopausal period.

Methods The study population included 112 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (65 men and 47 women) and was divided into two groups according to age: Younger, ≤ 40 years, and older, > 40 years. In each group, the ventricular septum and posterior wall thickness measured by echocardiography in the men were compared with those in the women.

Results The ventricular septum and posterior wall thickness were similar in men and women both among the younger and older patient subgroups. The extent of LVH in the premenopausal women was also comparable with that in the peri-and postmenopausal women.

Conclusion Premenopausal women with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presented with a comparable extent of LVH to age-matched men. Moreover, LVH did not progress in peri- and postmenopausal women. Thus, the hypothesized antihypertrophic effect of estrogen in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy premenopausal women is probably not strong enough to modify genetically determined LVH in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients.