BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (Jun 2010)
Difference in the topography of atherosclerosis in the left versus right coronary artery in patients referred for coronary angiography
Abstract
Abstract Background We sought to determine the difference in the localization of coronary artery disease (CAD) between the left and right coronary artery system and investigate the effect of sex and age on that difference. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 17,323 consecutive angiographies from January 1st, 1984 to December 31st, 2003. The demographic parameters, in particular age and sex of the investigated cases as well as the angiographic results were recorded and summarized. Results Of 13,305 cases with CAD, 861 (6.5%) had right coronary artery (RCA)-only disease, 4,621 (34.7%) had left coronary artery (LCA)-only disease, while 7,823 (58.8%) cases had concomitant RCA and LCA disease. LCA-only disease was more frequent than RCA-only disease [LCA-only/RCA-only odds ratio (OR): 5.37, 95% CI: 4.99 to 5.77, p Conclusions LCA-only disease is more frequent than RCA-only disease. Men have a higher probability than women to present with concomitant RCA and LCA disease while women are more likely than men to be found with LCA-only disease.