Table 1:
Baseline Characteristics
| Variables | All | Male (n=101) | Female (n=71) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Age, years | 38 (27–48) | 36 (25–46) | 39 (27–48) | 0.4 |
| Bicuspid aortic valve | 98 (57%) | 62 (61%) | 36 (51%) | 0.02 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 28±5 | 29±5 | 27±4 | 0.3 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 1.22±0.38 | 1.28±0.31 | 1.17±0.29 | 0.1 |
| NT-proBNP | 268 (66–421) | 246 (51–316) | 271 (68–421) | 0.4 |
| Gynecologic data | ||||
| Females | 71 | --- | 71 | --- |
| Premenopausal | 57 | --- | 57 | --- |
| Postmenopausal | 3 | --- | 3 | --- |
| Menopausal data not available | 11 | --- | 11 | --- |
| Patients on contraceptive | 31 | --- | 31 | --- |
| Patients on estrogen contraceptive | 2 | --- | 2 | --- |
| BP and HR | ||||
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 149±26 | 154±24 | 142±21 | 0.03 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 89±15 | 92±12 | 87±13 | 0.06 |
| Heart rate, bpm | 76±9 | 74±8 | 77±9 | 0.5 |
| CV risk factors and disease | ||||
| Hypertension | 127 (74%) | 78 (77%) | 49 (69%) | 0.1 |
| Coronary artery disease | 13 (8%) | 9 (9%) | 4 (6%) | 0.6 |
| Diabetes | 7 (4%) | 4 (4%) | 3 (4%) | 0.9 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 29 (17%) | 18 (17%) | 11 (16%) | 0.6 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 4 (2%) | 2 (2%) | 2 (3%) | 0.8 |
| Lipid profile | ||||
| Total cholesterol | 176±33 | 179±29 | 171±26 | 0.7 |
| HDL cholesterol | 46±11 | 44±10 | 49±12 | 0.6 |
| LDL cholesterol | 89±8 | 91±7 | 87±12 | 0.7 |
| Family history of coronary artery disease | 11 (6%) | 5 (5%) | 6 (9%) | 0.4 |
| Patient on lipid lowering therapy | 26 (15%) | 15 (15%) | 11 (16%) | 0.5 |
| Anti-hypertensive therapy | ||||
| Thiazide diuretics | 25 (15%) | 14 (14%) | 11 (16%) | 0.7 |
| Beta blockers | 69 (40%) | 42 (42%) | 27 (38%) | 0.009 |
| ACEI/ARB | 65 (38%) | 36 (36%) | 29 (41%) | 0.3 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 47 (27%) | 29 (29%) | 18 (25%) | 0.5 |
| Hydralazine | 8 (5%) | 4 (4%) | 4 (6%) | 0.3 |
| Echocardiography | ||||
| LV end-diastolic volume index, ml/m2 | 65±28 | 67±24 | 63±21 | 0.04 |
| LV end-systolic volume index, ml/m2 | 25±12 | 27±10 | 24±8 | 0.01 |
| LV ejection fraction, % | 62±9 | 60±7 | 65±5 | 0.008 |
| LV mass index, g/m2 | 136±32 | 141±32 | 129±32 | <0.001 |
| Concentric LV hypertrophy | 96 (55%) | 58 (57%) | 38 (54%) | 0.1 |
| Eccentric LV hypertrophy | 43 (24%) | 28 (28%) | 15 (21%) | 0.3 |
| Aortic valve mean gradient, mmHg | 9 (7–20) | 11 (8–22) | 7 (7–6) | 0.06 |
| COA Doppler mean gradient, mmHg | 31±12 | 32±10 | 30±8 | 0.7 |
| Cross-sectional imaging | ||||
| Sinus of Valsalva, mm | 35±6 | 36±5 | 35±4 | 0.4 |
| Mid ascending aorta, mm | 12±5 | 13±5 | 12±4 | 0.1 |
| Proximal arch, mm | 20±3 | 21±3 | 20±4 | 0.2 |
| Distal arch, mm | 18±3 | 18±4 | 18±3 | 0.5 |
| Isthmus, mm | 9±3 | 9±4 | 9±3 | 0.5 |
| Descending aorta at diaphragm, mm | 17±2 | 18±2 | 16±2 | 0.06 |
| Aortic isthmus ratio | 0.66±0.15 | 0.65±0.13 | 0.67±0.11 | 0.03 |
ACEI: Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB: Angiotensin-II receptor blockers; LV: Left ventricle; COA: Coarctation of aorta.
*
Thoracic aorta dimensions were based on cross-section imaging data.