Residual angina in female patients after coronary revascularization.

Coronary revascularization, either percutaneous by stent implantation or surgical, has been established as the treatment of choice for patients with significant coronary stenosis. One of the main targets of coronary revascularization - especially in patients with stable disease - is to alleviate symptoms and thereby improve quality of life. Residual angina after successful coronary revascularization is not uncommon and indeed frustrating for the patient as much as for the treating physician. Several studies have shown worse outcomes in females with regard to post-revascularization morbidity and mortality in percutaneous as well as surgical coronary procedures. Although none of the studies has specifically looked at sex-related differences in residual angina after revascularization, some studies have found that female compared to male sex was a predictor of post-revascularization angina. This review article aims to summarize the results of these studies as well as to discuss the potential underlying mechanisms of these findings.