Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (Jul 2023)

Sex differences in coronary microvascular resistance measured by a computational fluid dynamics model

  • Daniel J. Taylor,
  • Louise Aubiniere-Robb,
  • Rebecca Gosling,
  • Rebecca Gosling,
  • Rebecca Gosling,
  • Tom Newman,
  • Tom Newman,
  • D. Rodney Hose,
  • D. Rodney Hose,
  • Ian Halliday,
  • Ian Halliday,
  • Patricia V. Lawford,
  • Patricia V. Lawford,
  • Andrew J. Narracott,
  • Andrew J. Narracott,
  • Julian P. Gunn,
  • Julian P. Gunn,
  • Julian P. Gunn,
  • Paul D. Morris,
  • Paul D. Morris,
  • Paul D. Morris

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1159160
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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BackgroundIncreased coronary microvascular resistance (CMVR) is associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Although CMD is more common in women, sex-specific differences in CMVR have not been demonstrated previously.AimTo compare CMVR between men and women being investigated for chest pain.Methods and resultsWe used a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of human coronary physiology to calculate absolute CMVR based on invasive coronary angiographic images and pressures in 203 coronary arteries from 144 individual patients. CMVR was significantly higher in women than men (860 [650–1,205] vs. 680 [520–865] WU, Z = −2.24, p = 0.025). None of the other major subgroup comparisons yielded any differences in CMVR.ConclusionCMVR was significantly higher in women compared with men. These sex-specific differences may help to explain the increased prevalence of CMD in women.

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