Objective To study the gender and age differences of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Methods 1578 patients with consciously palpitations due to paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) tachycardia were involved in this study. PSVT was confirmed by electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation in our hospital (including atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia or bypass mediated atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia). Clinical data such as gender, age, type of disease, other types of arrhythmias were analysed.

Results Gender exerts significant influences on the epidemiology, age at onset of various paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. With overall incidence, atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) is more common compared with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) (AVRT VS AVNRT: 58.7% vs 41.3%). Compared to women, men with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia have a higher incidence of atrioventricular accessory pathways, a lower prevalence of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. The average age of onset with different types of PSVT varies; it is also affected by gender. The average onset age of AVNRT group, whether in men or women are significantly greater than AVRT group (p < 0.001). The average onset age of dominant pathway-mediated AVRT occurs youger than the occult accessory pathway-mediated group, this significant differences is unaffected by gender. In addition, female onset age of the left side dominant pathway-mediated AVRT is significantly less than men (p = 0.007). Besides, different gender and age of onset play roles in the diagnosis of PSVT type. The diagnosis of AVRT is easier to set up with male whose onset age < 40 years of age (73% –76%). The AVRT seems to be more susceptible to the effects of gender and age; the incidence of AVRT exist two peak periods with female- 12 to 16 years old and 32 to 44 years old. But for man, the former peak incidence is during 16 to 20 years old, later than women, and the number of cases significantly reduced after 56-year-old. However, the incidence of AVNRT does not exist these characteristics.

Conclusions The proportion of different types of PSVT affected by gender. Different gender and age of onset play roles in the diagnosis of PSVT type. The influence of gender and age on AVNRT seems to be smaller than AVRT, especially the incidence of dominant accessory pathway-mediated AVRT may be not just determined by genetic factors. The peak age of onset differ from sex. Two peak period of female AVRT showed same as the fluctuation of female lifetime hormone levels. And it is different with male, which may imply that the incidence of AVRT is also affected by the impact of female hormone.