Gender-related differences in oxidative stress levels among elderly patients with coronary artery disease

Objective: To evaluate whether gender-related differences exist concerning oxidative stress levels in aged patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Design: Case-control. Setting: Clinical and research center. Patient(s): Elderly subjects of both genders with or without CAD. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum hydroperoxides (HP) as index of oxidative stress levels. Result(s): The HP levels were comparable in aged control subjects of both genders (376 20 arbitrary units [AU] in women, 333 19 AU in men) but significantly increased in CAD (456 15 AU) compared with all control subjects (357 14 AU ½Q1 ). Moreover, among CAD patients, The HP levels were higher in women than in men (536 33 AU and 428 15 AU, respectively). Multivariate analysis, in which CAD represented the dependent variable, indicated that dyslipidemia was independently associated with CAD in men (odds ratio [OR] 5.8), whereas HP 50th percentile represented the only strong independent risk factor for CAD in elderly women (OR 8.4). Conclusion(s): Differences in oxidative stress levels between elderly males and females might provide a biochemical basis for the epidemiologic differences in CAD, which might help to open new opportunities in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease from a gender point of view.