Gender Differences in Clinical and Electrophysiological Characteristics of Patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: Assiut University Heart Hospital Experience

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Cardiovascular Medicine Department, Assiut University Heart Hospital, Assiut, Egypt.

10.21608/jcmrp.2024.281156.1043

Abstract

Abstract:
Background: Wolf-Parkinson-white (WPW) syndrome is a form of ventricular preexcitation syndrome where the ventricle is preexcited by one or more accessory pathways (AP). Patients with WPW syndrome are at risk for the development of preexcited atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, and sudden cardiac arrest.
Objectives:  Our purpose was to investigate and obtain insight into the possible relation between the patient's gender and the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics, and to look for possible differences between males and females regarding the duration between the first attack of tachypalpitation and referral for ablation.
Patients and Methods: Our study included 73 patients who underwent successful catheter ablation for a manifest AP. A detailed history was obtained, including (age, first tachycardia attack, and associated symptoms). An electrophysiological study and ablation of the accessory pathway were done. Electrophysiological parameters, including antegrade effective refractory period (AERP) and retrograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway (RERP), were determined, and the site of successful ablation of the AP was recorded.
Results: Twenty-six patients (35%) were females, and 47 patients (64%) were males (AP is almost twice as common in males as in females). The mean age of females versus males at the time of ablation was (34.73 ± 9.64) VS (31.87 ± 13.06). Females were referred to ablation later than males, as seen from the time passed since 1st attack of tachypalpitation till the ablation procedure (50.69 ± 36.07 months) for females versus (31.83 ± 23.55 months) for males, P=0.033.
Conclusions: Female patients' diagnosis and referral to catheter ablation are delayed compared to equally affected male patients, with a longer duration passing from the first episode of tachypalpitation till the ablation procedure.
There are gender differences in sites of APs; females more commonly had right-sided APs.
 

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics