TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-related differences in plaque characteristics and endothelial shear stress related plaque-progression in human coronary arteries
AU - Wentzel, Jolanda J.
AU - Papafaklis, Michail I.
AU - Antoniadis, Antonios P.
AU - Takahashi, Saeko
AU - Cefalo, Nicholas V.
AU - Cormier, Michelle
AU - Saito, Shigeru
AU - Coskun, Ahmet U.
AU - Stone, Peter H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/2/1
Y1 - 2022/2/1
N2 - Background and aims: Clinical atherosclerosis manifestations are different in women compared to men. Since endothelial shear stress (ESS) is known to play a critical role in coronary atherosclerosis development, we investigated differences in anatomical characteristics and endothelial shear stress (ESS)–related plaque growth in human coronary arteries in men compared to women. Methods: 1183 coronary arteries (male/female: 944/239) from the PREDICTION study were studied for differences in artery/plaque and ESS characteristics, and ESS-related plaque progression (6–10 months follow-up) among men and women and after stratification for age. All characteristics were derived from IVUS-based vascular profiling and reported per 3 mm-segments (13,030 3-mm-segments (male/female: 10,465/2,565)). Results: Coronary arteries and plaques were significantly smaller in females compared to males; but no important differences were observed in plaque burden, ESS and rate of plaque progression. Change in plaque burden was inversely related to ESS (p<0.001) with no difference between women versus men (β: -0.62 ± 0.13 vs −0.68 ± 0.05, p=0.62). However, stratification for age demonstrated that ESS-related plaque growth was more marked in young women compared to men (<55 years, β: −2.02 ± 0.61 vs −0.33 ± 0.10, p=0.007), reducing in magnitude over the age-categories up till 75 years. Conclusions: Coronary artery and plaque size are smaller in women compared to men, but ESS and ESS- related plaque progression were similar. Sex-related differences in ESS-related plaque growth were evident after stratification for age. These observations suggest that although the fundamental processes of atherosclerosis progression are similar in men versus women, plaque progression may be influenced by age within gender.
AB - Background and aims: Clinical atherosclerosis manifestations are different in women compared to men. Since endothelial shear stress (ESS) is known to play a critical role in coronary atherosclerosis development, we investigated differences in anatomical characteristics and endothelial shear stress (ESS)–related plaque growth in human coronary arteries in men compared to women. Methods: 1183 coronary arteries (male/female: 944/239) from the PREDICTION study were studied for differences in artery/plaque and ESS characteristics, and ESS-related plaque progression (6–10 months follow-up) among men and women and after stratification for age. All characteristics were derived from IVUS-based vascular profiling and reported per 3 mm-segments (13,030 3-mm-segments (male/female: 10,465/2,565)). Results: Coronary arteries and plaques were significantly smaller in females compared to males; but no important differences were observed in plaque burden, ESS and rate of plaque progression. Change in plaque burden was inversely related to ESS (p<0.001) with no difference between women versus men (β: -0.62 ± 0.13 vs −0.68 ± 0.05, p=0.62). However, stratification for age demonstrated that ESS-related plaque growth was more marked in young women compared to men (<55 years, β: −2.02 ± 0.61 vs −0.33 ± 0.10, p=0.007), reducing in magnitude over the age-categories up till 75 years. Conclusions: Coronary artery and plaque size are smaller in women compared to men, but ESS and ESS- related plaque progression were similar. Sex-related differences in ESS-related plaque growth were evident after stratification for age. These observations suggest that although the fundamental processes of atherosclerosis progression are similar in men versus women, plaque progression may be influenced by age within gender.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122228248&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.12.013
DO - 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.12.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 34999306
AN - SCOPUS:85122228248
SN - 0021-9150
VL - 342
SP - 9
EP - 18
JO - Atherosclerosis
JF - Atherosclerosis
ER -