title: The impact of gender on fractional flow reserve measurements.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fractional flow reserve (FFR) allows accurate investigation of the functional significance of intermediate coronary stenoses. The present study set out to study the impact of gender on FFR measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and seventeen intermediate (40-70% at angiography) stenoses were assessed with FFR in 270 patients (mean age 65.8 ± 10.3 years, 84 females). Resting Pd/Pa (the ratio of mean blood pressure measured distal to the stenosis to mean aortic blood pressure in resting conditions), FFR (Pd/Pa during adenosine-induced hyperaemia) and the ΔPd/Pa (calculated as the change in Pd/Pa during hyperaemia) were measured. There was no difference in the location and degree of stenoses between genders (p>0.5). Similarly, there was no difference in age and in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (all p>0.2). Resting Pd/Pa also did not differ between genders (0.92 ± 0.08 vs. 0.93 ± 0.05, p=0.23). In response to adenosine, however, a significantly larger ΔPd/Pa (0.14 ± 0.07 vs. 0.11 ± 0.07, p=0.001) and a significantly lower FFR (0.79 ± 0.12 vs. 0.82 ± 0.10, p=0.008) were observed in males. This difference was maintained in a multivariate regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed gender-based differences in FFR data in daily routine. Further studies are necessary to test the mechanism of this observation and how these differences impact on the assessment of haemodynamically relevant stenoses.
authors: Department of Cardiology, University Medical Hospital of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Fineschi
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Guerrieri
authors: Dörte
authors: D
authors: Orphal
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Palmerini
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Münzel
authors: Ascan
authors: A
authors: Warnholtz
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Pierli
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Gori
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D053805:Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000241:Adenosine