Arrhythmias and conduction disturbanceMore Reasons Why Men and Women Are Not the Same (Gender Differences in Electrophysiology and Arrhythmias)
Section snippets
Gender Differences in Electrocardiography and Cardiac Electrophysiology
A number of differences in cardiac electrophysiology have been identified by various investigators. These differences almost certainly play a role in the prevalence of different arrhythmias seen clinically, although the mechanisms by which differences in electrophysiology translate into arrhythmia behavior are not well understood. It was shown as early as 1920 by Bazett1 that women have higher heart rates at rest than men. In a large population from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
There are clear-cut differences between men and women in the prevalence and clinical courses of various SVTs. Rodriguez et al10 summarized these differences (Table 1), which have been confirmed in subsequent studies of large numbers of patients. For example, atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia has a 2:1 women-to-men predominance. In contrast, atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia in patients with accessory pathways, including Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, is observed twice as often
Sudden Cardiac Death
In the United States, SCD is estimated to account for 300,000 to 400,000 deaths per year. Epidemiologic studies evaluating out-of-hospital cardiac arrests demonstrate that women present more commonly with asystole and pulseless electrical activity, whereas men usually have ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.31 Multiple studies have evaluated the clinical characteristics and presentation of SCD in women compared with men. An analysis of the Framingham population revealed that
Pregnancy
Pregnancy and the postpartum period are special situations that appear to convey additional arrhythmic risk. During this period, there is an increased risk for SVT. Tawam et al40 retrospectively analyzed 60 consecutive women presenting with SVT, finding an increased risk for new-onset SVT and exacerbations during pregnancy (relative risk 5.1, p <0.001). Symptoms of SVT were also increased. The mechanisms for an increase in SVT are speculated to include hormones, autonomic tone, and increased
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