LV vorticity metrics higher in women than men
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Compared with men, women had increased flow and cardiac strain parameters associated with left ventricular mass, according to a study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.
“Through observation of these sex differences in cardiac performance, we demonstrated that the methods used in this work may provide increased sensitivity vs. current clinical measurements for determining differences in heart function in an otherwise healthy population,” David R. Rutkowski, PhD, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, told Healio. “This may help for future early diagnosis and tracking disease progression. The results also provide a preliminary baseline for ‘normal’ flow in men and women.”
Researchers analyzed data from 20 men (mean age, 26 years) and 19 women (mean age, 27 years) who underwent 2D cine MRI and 4D flow MRI. Both imaging methods were used to quantify kinetic energy, flow, efficiency, vorticity and cardiac strain metrics.
Compared with women, men had higher peak systolic blood kinetic energy (4.76 m vs. 3.36 m; P = .047). Women had higher levels for the following metrics compared with men:
- peak diastolic vorticity index (0.007 radian/m2/mL per second vs. 0.014 radian/m2/mL per second; P = .015);
- peak systolic vorticity index (0.008 radian/m2/mL per second vs. 0.014 radian/m2/mL per second; P = .007); and
- cycle-average vorticity (0.006 radian per second vs. 0.011 radian per second; P = .001).
- Women also had higher circumferential, radial and long-axis strain metrics compared with men (P < .05).
There was a moderate correlation between circumferential systolic and diastolic strain rates and peak systolic (r = –0.38; P = .022) and diastolic vorticity (r = 0.4; P = .015), respectively.
“Analyses on a larger cohort, on groups of different ages and stages of life (premenopause vs. postmenopause) and in groups with various cardiac disease would be beneficial to shed light on the importance of these differences in cardiac flow and strain metrics,” Rutkowski said in an interview. “Future work is needed to determine the implications of these findings on differences in cardiovascular disease incidence and recovery between men and women.” – by Darlene Dobkowski
For more information:
David R. Rutkowski, PhD, can be reached at drutkowski2@wisc.edu.
Disclosures: Rutkowski reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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