Sex differences on the electrocardiographic pattern of cardiac repolarization: possible role of testosterone.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac repolarization has been shown to be shorter and faster in men compared with women. In this study, we examined the electrocardiographic pattern of repolarization in patients with abnormal plasma levels of testosterone to gain insight into the role that this hormone plays in modulating repolarization.


RESULTS
Repolarization was measured in 27 castrated men, 26 women with virilization, and 53 control subjects pair-matched for age and sex. Repolarization in castrated men was slower and longer than that of normal men. Women with virilization exhibited a shorter and faster repolarization than normal women and castrated men. These differences are the opposite of those found in the normal population. Finally, the changes observed in castrated men may be reverted by testosterone.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that testosterone plays an important role in modulating cardiac repolarization.
Bidoggia
H
H
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires 1078, Argentina.
Maciel
J P
JP
Capalozza
N
N
Mosca
S
S
Blaksley
E J
EJ
Valverde
E
E
Bertran
G
G
Arini
P
P
Biagetti
M O
MO
Quinteiro
R A
RA
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002369:Castration; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D013739:Testosterone