Valvular heart diseases in women

Abstract

Background Valvular heart disease is a common health problem affecting both sexes and all age groups. Almost all guidelines are based on studies that mainly involved male patients. Main body The features of valvular heart diseases in women were essentially derived from small observational studies. These studies have shown that women differ from men in terms of the type of valve disease, pathology affecting the valve, perception of symptoms, parameters measured in echocardiography, response to drugs, surgical techniques, and postoperative outcomes. This review was conducted to demonstrate the uniqueness of valvular heart diseases in women and raise awareness about the need for sex-based randomized study designs to provide a piece of proper evidence to support suitable sex-based guidelines and recommendations. Moreover, it briefly describes the effects of pregnancy on women with valvular heart diseases and the impact of the latter on the course of pregnancy and the well-being of the mother and fetus. Conclusion Valvular heart diseases in women are different from those in men. Sex-based guidelines for managing valvular heart diseases are needed.

Influence of time in therapeutic range on postoperative complications in mechanical heart valve replacement patients operated with the indigenous TTK Chitra heart valve

“…In the present study cohort, TTK Chitra™ was used in all the patients and majority were females with mitral valve disease. Review studies conducted by Youssef et al (7) and Desjardin JT et al( 8) also confirmed the higher prevalence rate of mitral valve (especially rheumatic disease) lesions in women across all age groups over men with a predominance rate of 3:1. On the other hand, men were reported to have higher incidences of aortic valve diseases (aortic regurgitation) (9).…”

Risk Factors for Heart Disease in Pet Dogs Attended At a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Malaysia

“…In humans, the prevalence and risk of mitral valvular disease are higher among women, with more extensive lesions with remarkable extreme gross valvular changes (Avierinos et al 2002). The exact aetiology remains unknown; however, it was speculated to be related to different stresses acquired throughout life such as pregnancies and fluctuating levels of cardioprotective oestrogen (Youssef 2021). The role of oestrogen in the cardiovascular system of dogs however was unclear, while inconsistent findings on changes in the level of heart rate, cardiac output level, and echocardiographic findings during pregnancy made the exact role of hemodynamic stress on the risk of heart disease in dogs remains unclear (Brooks and Keil 1994;Olsson et al 2003;Abbott 2010;Blanco et al 2011;de Souza et al 2017;Ward et al 2020).…”