Gender-specific differences in the clinical features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a community-based Japanese population: results from Kochi RYOMA study.
OBJECTIVE
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical features. Although gender may be one of the important modifying factors in HCM, there has been little information on gender differences.


METHODS
We investigated gender-specific differences in the clinical features of HCM in a community-based Japanese population. We established cardiomyopathy registration in Kochi Prefecture named Kochi RYOMA study consisting of 9 hospitals as an unselected regional Japanese population.


RESULTS
261 patients with diagnosis of HCM were registered. At registration, 88 patients (34%) were women. Female patients were more frequently diagnosed as having HCM at ≥65 years (41% versus 27%) and had a higher ratio of familial HCM (35% versus 19%). More female patients had diagnosis of HCM due to cardiac symptoms (64% versus 40%) and were symptomatic both at diagnosis and at registration. Although the prevalence of atrial fibrillation was not different between males and females, embolic events occurred less frequently in female patients at registration than in male patients (2% versus 10%). In female patients, there were more obstructive HCM patients and fewer patients with apical HCM. Left ventricular and left atrial diameters were smaller and fractional shortening was higher in females than in males.


CONCLUSIONS
The manifestations of HCM in unselected Japanese patients differed in men and women, which suggest that hormonal, social, and genetic factors may influence the clinical presentation of HCM.
Kubo
Toru
T
Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Kochi Medical School, Oko-cho, Nankoku-shi, Kochi 783-8505, Japan.
Kitaoka
Hiroaki
H
Okawa
Makoto
M
Hirota
Takayoshi
T
Hayato
Kayo
K
Yamasaki
Naohito
N
Matsumura
Yoshihisa
Y
Yabe
Toshikazu
T
Doi
Yoshinori L
YL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult