Gender differences in coronary plaque components in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound analysis

SummaryBackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the gender differences in plaque components in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.MethodsWe used virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound to evaluate the plaque components in culprit lesions in 362 ACS patients (254 men, 108 women).ResultsWomen were more likely to be diabetic (34% vs 23%, p=0.030), had greater percentage necrotic core (%NC) volume (19.0±12.7% vs 16.8±11.9%, p=0.040), and had trends toward higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (0.85±1.28mg/dl vs 0.53±0.48mg/dl, p=0.063), and higher incidence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) (62% vs 52%, p=0.078) compared with men. %NC volume was significantly greater in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic patients (20.4±10.2% vs 16.0±8.9%, p<0.001) and was significantly greater in patients with elevated hs-CRP (≥0.2mg/dl) compared with those with normal hs-CRP (