Gender differences among korean patients with coronary spasm.
OBJECTIVE
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.


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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Lee
Ju Hwan
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, CHA University, CHA Gumi Medical Center, Gumi, Korea.
Lee
Hyunsang
H
Bae
Myung Hwan
MH
Kwon
Yong Seop
YS
Lee
Jang Hoon
JH
Ryu
Hyeon Min
HM
Park
Yongwhi
Y
Yang
Dong Heon
DH
Park
Hun Sik
HS
Cho
Yongkeun
Y
Chae
Shung Chull
SC
Jun
Jae-Eun
JE
Park
Wee-Hyun
WH