Sex Differences in Transcatheter Structural Heart Disease Interventions: How Much Do We Know?

Abstract

The number of structural heart disease interventions has greatly increased in the past decade. Moreover, interest in the sex-specific outcomes of various cardiovascular conditions and procedures has increased. In this review, we discuss the sex differences in the clinical profiles and outcomes of patients undergoing the most commonly performed structural procedures: transcatheter aortic valve replacement, transcatheter edge to edge repair of the mitral and tricuspid valve, transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement, patent foramen ovale closure and left atrial appendage occlusion. We shed light on potential reasons for these differences and emphasize the importance of increasing the representation of women in randomized clinical trials, to understand these differences and support the application of these cutting-edge technologies.