Gender Differences in Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Transfemoral aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a guideline-recommended treatment option for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis. Females and males present with different baseline characteristics, which may influence procedural outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate differences between females and males undergoing transfemoral TAVR across the globe during the last decade.

METHODS: The CENTER collaboration was a global patient level dataset of patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR (N= 12,381) from 2007-2018. In this retrospective analysis we examined differences in baseline patient characteristics, 30-day stroke and mortality and in-hospital outcomes between female and male patients. We also assessed for temporal changes in outcomes and predictors for mortality per gender.

RESULTS: We included 58% (n=7,120) female and 42% (n=5,261) male patients. Females had higher prevalence of hypertension and glomerular filtration rate <30ml/min/m2 , but lower prevalence of all other traditional cardiovascular comorbidities. Both genders had similar rates of 30-day stroke (2.3% vs 2.5%, p=0.53) and mortality (5.9% vs. 5.5%, p=0.17). In contrast, females had a 50% higher risk of life-threatening or major bleeding (6.7% vs 4.4%, p<0.01). Over the study period mortality rates decreased to a greater extent in males than in females (60% vs 50% reduction, both p<0.001), with no reductions in stroke rates over time.

CONCLUSIONS: In this global collaboration females and males had similar rates of 30-day mortality and stroke. However, females had higher rates of procedural life-threatening or major bleeding after TAVR. Between 2007 and 2018 mortality rates decreased to a greater extent in males than in females.