1. Sex-specific difference in cardiac function in patients with systemic sclerosis: association with cardiovascular outcomes
- Author
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Oliver Distler, Jeroen J Bax, Jeska De Vries-Bouwstra, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Laura Groseanu, Nina Ajmone Marsan, Federico Fortuni, Nina Marijn van Leeuwen, Tea Gegenava, Anders H Tennoe, Ruxandra Jurcut, Adrian Giuca, and Felix Tanner
- Subjects
Medicine - Abstract
Background Cardiovascular involvement is one of the leading causes of mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is reported to be higher in men as compared with women. However, the cause of this difference is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in echocardiographic characteristics, including left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS), as a potential explanation of sex differences in outcomes.Methods A total of 746 patients with SSc from four centres, including 628 (84%, 54±13 years) women and 118 (16%, 55±15 years) men, were evaluated with standard and advanced echocardiographic examinations. The independent association of the echocardiographic parameters with the combined endpoint of cardiovascular events-hospitalisation/death was evaluated.Results Men and women with SSc showed significant differences in disease characteristics and cardiac function. After adjusting for the most important clinical characteristics, while LV ejection fraction and diastolic function were not significantly different anymore, men still presented with more impaired LV GLS as compared with women (−19% (IQR −20% to −17%) vs −21% (IQR: −22% to −19%), p
- Published
- 2023
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