The following is a summary of “Male–Female Differences in Acute Type B Aortic Dissection,” published in the December 2023 issue of Cardiology by Meccanici et al.
In this retrospective cohort study spanning a decade and involving 384 consecutive patients with acute type B aortic dissection across four tertiary hospitals, researchers aimed to investigate potential male-female disparities in this cardiovascular emergency, a condition associated with significant mortality and morbidity risks. Notably, while gender differences are well-documented in cardiovascular diseases, scant literature exists on type B aortic dissection.
Their findings reveal nuanced distinctions between male and female presentations: women tended to present at an older age and displayed lower rates of prior abdominal aortic aneurysm, distally extending dissections, and clinical malperfusion. Notably, absolute maximal descending aortic diameters were smaller in women, yet indexed for body surface area diameters were larger. Despite these clinical profile variations, no significant male-female differences were identified in treatment choices, early mortality rates, 5-year survival, or late (re)interventions. Intriguingly, women did not experience a higher morbidity risk despite their distinct clinical profiles at presentation.
This study underscores the need for more detailed investigations into the impact of age and the type of intervention in future studies to comprehensively understand the intricacies of acute type B aortic dissection across genders and optimize patient management strategies.