A Canadian researcher found that mineral deposits in the aortic valves of patients with stenosis varied greatly between men and women. For the author of the study, this discovery underlines the need to develop several diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, according to the different patient profiles.
- Mineral deposits that interfere with the proper functioning of the aortic valves occur more slowly in women
- This demonstrates the need for a specific approach to treat aortic stenosis in women
Among the health differences between men and women, heart pathologies top the list. We know, for example, that the onset of a heart attack does not manifest itself in the same way in a man and that the warning signs are more discreet in women (because they are less known).
A team of scientists from Canada highlights one more difference in the heart functions of men and women. In this study, researcher Maria Cerruti, a professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at McGill University (Canada), analyzed the damaged heart valves of patients who had undergone a transplant. The examinations were carried out at the Canadian Light Synchrotron Center (CLRS) at the University of Saskatchewan.
Published in the journal Acta Biomaterialia, the study mentions considerable differences in the mineral deposits found in the aortic valves of men and women with aortic stenosis. This life-threatening heart disease is caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve opening.
“We unexpectedly discovered that the minerals are different in their composition and shape, and that they grow more slowly in women, observes Pr Cerruti.
Take better account of the diversity of patient profiles
According to the researcher, these findings demonstrate the importance ofinclude more diversity ofin the methodologies used to carry out scientific research. We know, for example, that clinical trials were for a long time exclusively carried out on men or male animal models.
“Our study perfectly illustrates that by looking at only one specific population, the data will be skewed. Having a more diverse dataset improves knowledge,” says the Pres. Cerruti, which emphasizes the need to develop different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to treat aortic stenosis in men or women.
The researcher wishes to study this cardiovascular phenomenon in more detail in order to better understand the precise composition of the mineral deposits detected in the aortic valves of women. “It is possible that there are easier ways to target these minerals and dissolve them in women,” says the scientist.
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