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Research Article| Volume 168, ISSUE 3, P2518-2521, October 03, 2013

The human female heart incorporates glucose more efficiently than the male heart

  • Author Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Yoshihiko Kakinuma
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author at: Department of Cardiovascular Control, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan 783-8505. Tel.: +81 88 880 2587; fax: +81 88 880 2310.
    Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Affiliations
    Department of Cardiovascular Control, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku, Japan
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Shoshiro Okada
    Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Affiliations
    Department of Pharmacology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Munenobu Nogami
    Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Affiliations
    PET Center of Kochi Medical School Hospital, Nankoku, Japan
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Yoshitaka Kumon
    Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.
    Affiliations
    Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Chikamori Hospital, Kochi, Japan
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 These authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.

      Abstract

      Background

      Oestrogen is known to play a cardioprotective role in cardiovascular diseases, as demonstrated in a number of animal studies. However, few human studies have investigated sex-based differences with regard to cardiac glucose uptake using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG–PET/CT).

      Methods

      Therefore, we evaluated healthy male and female subjects who underwent FDG–PET/CT examination to determine whether there was a sex-related difference in cardiac glucose uptake with age.

      Results

      In females, the prevalence of maximal FDG uptake (PET score 2) demonstrated a convex pattern with ageing, and it peaked at age 51–60 years in the females, gradually decreasing to a minimum at age >70 years. In contrast, the prevalence of maximal FDG uptake by age in males was a mirror image of that in females, i.e. it formed a concave pattern with a nadir at 61–70 years, followed by an increase in the prevalence. These findings suggest that female hearts depend more on glucose as an energy substrate as they age, however, efficient glucose uptake is attenuated with increasing age. In contrast, the male heart sustains its glucose uptake capacity at age >70 years.

      Conclusion

      This characteristic sex-based difference in cardiac glucose uptake might be related to the female predominance of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

      Keywords

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