How does Aortic Stenosis Differ between Males and Females?

Men and women are physiologically different and thus the effects of disease may be different as well. Women have lower aortic valve weight and lower aortic valve calcium. More calcium correlates with more stenosis.

Based on the prevalence of aortic stenosis, men and women present with the disease equally. The main difference is that women are diagnosed at later ages than men, thus they have less favorable outcomes. At equal severity of stenosis, women have more clinical symptoms and higher left atrial volumes. If we take equal ages, women with severe aortic stenosis incur higher mortality than men.

With regard to the corrective procedure for aortic stenosis, there are two main options: surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Transcatheter valve replacement is done via a catheter inserted to a blood vessel. SAVR is known to present a greater risk to women than men, while TAVR has a low risk in women compared to men.

One special attribute is that aortic stenosis is thought to be a primarily male disease. Therefore, as a result of that, females tend to be referred less for follow up. At presentation, women with aortic stenosis show higher frequency of hypertension, whereas coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis is more frequent in men. Hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis is more concentric if you look at the section of the left ventricle in women, while it is more eccentric in men.

If you have any symptoms such as fainting, chest pain and shortness of breath, contact your doctor for examination and investigations. They will use an imaging technique called an echocardiogram to visualize your aortic valve and see how stenosis has affected your heart. After a diagnosis, they will decide your mode of treatment depending on your pre-existing conditions. Contact your doctor or contact us at Heart Valve Experts to find out your options.