Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Gender Difference in Accumulation of Calcium and Phosphorus in the Left Coronary Arteries of Thais

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To examine whether there were gender differences in compositional changes of the coronary artery with aging, the authors investigated the gender difference in age-related changes of elements in the left coronary arteries of Thais by direct chemical analysis. After ordinary dissections by students at Chiang Mai University were finished, the left coronary arteries were resected from Thai subjects. The Thai subjects consisted of 69 men and 34 women. The ages of the male subjects ranged from 25 to 87 years (average age = 62.6 ± 11.4 years) and of the female subjects from 24 to 86 years (average age = 59.4 ± 14.6 years). After incinerating the arteries with nitric acid and perchloric acid, the element content was determined by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry. The Ca and P contents tended to increase in the left coronary arteries of men with age, but the increases were not statistically significant. In the left coronary arteries of women, the Ca and P contents increased significantly and progressively with aging. In addition, the Na content increased significantly in the left coronary arteries of both men and women with aging. The differences in the average contents of Ca and P by age group were observed between the left coronary arteries of men and women. With Student’s t test, significant gender differences in the average contents of Ca and P were found in both the 40s and the 70s. The Ca and P contents of the left coronary arteries in the 40s were significantly higher in men than in women. In contrast, the Ca and P contents in the 70s were significantly higher in women than in men. These results indicated that the accumulation of Ca and P in the left coronary arteries of Thais occurred at least 10 years earlier in men than in women, but a higher accumulation of Ca and P in old age occurred in the left coronary arteries of women compared with those of men. The present study revealed that there were significant gender differences in the left coronary arteries with regard to the accumulation of Ca and P with aging. It is reasonable to presume that taking clinical findings into consideration, the gender differences in the left coronary arteries may result from hormonal and/or genetic factors rather than lifestyle factors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tohno S, Mahakkanukrauh P, Tohno Y et al (2002) High accumulation of calcium and phosphorus in the coronary artery of the Thai in comparison with the Japanese. Biol Trace Elem Res 87:69–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tohno Y, Tohno S, Laleva L et al (2008) Age-related changes of elements in the coronary arteries of monkeys in comparison with those of humans. Biol Trace Elem Res 125:141–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Tohno Y, Mahakkanukrauh P, Tohno S et al (2010) Age-related changes of calcium in the coronary arteries of Thai, Japanese and monkey. Chiang Mai Univ J Nat Sci 9:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  4. Tohno Y, Tohno S, Mahakkanukrauh P et al (2006) Earlier accumulation of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in the coronary artery in comparison with the ascending aorta, aortic valve, and mitral valve. Biol Trace Elem Res 112:31–42

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Azuma C, Tohno S, Mahakkanukrauh P et al (2003) Different accumulation of elements in the rami of the coronary arteries of Thai. Biol Trace Elem Res 95:211–218

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Levy H, Boas EP (1936) Coronary artery disease in women. JAMA 107:97–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts JC, Moses C, Wilkins RH (1959) Autopsy studies in atherosclerosis. I. Distribution and severity of atherosclerosis in patients dying without morphologic evidence of atherosclerotic catastrophe. Circulation 20:511–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Roberts JC, Wilkins RH, Moses C (1959) Autopsy studies in atherosclerosis. II. Distribution and severity of atherosclerosis in patients dying with morphologic evidence of atherosclerotic catastrophe. Circulation 20:520–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Sawabe M, Arai T, Kasahara I et al (2006) Sustained progression and loss of the gender-related difference in atherosclerosis in the very old: a pathological study of 1074 consecutive autopsy cases. Atherosclerosis 186:374–379

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S et al (2004) Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART Study): case–control study. Lancet 364:937–952

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Anand SS, Islam S, Rosengren A et al (2008) Risk factors for myocardial infarction in women and men: insights from the INTERHEART Study. Eur Heart J 29:932–940

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sytkowski P, D’Agostino RB, Belanger A et al (1996) Sex and time trends in cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality: the Framingham Heart Study, 1950–1989. Am J Epidemiol 143:338–350

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kardys I, Vliegenthart R, Oudkerk M et al (2007) The female advantage in cardiovascular disease: do vascular beds contribute equally? Am J Epidemiol 166:403–412

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nicholls SJ, Wolski K, Sipahi I et al (2007) Rate of progession of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in women. J Am Coll Cardiol 49:1546–1551

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Tohno Y, Tohno S, Mahakkanukrauh P et al (2001) Simultaneous accumulation of magnesium with calcium and phosphorus in aorta and iliac arteries of Thai. Biol Trace Elem Res 84:19–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Tohno Y, Tohno S, Minami T et al (1996) Age-related changes of mineral contents in the human thoracic aorta and in the human cerebral artery. Biol Trace Elem Res 54:23–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Tohno S, Tohno Y (1998) Age-related differences in calcium accumulation in human arteries. Cell Mol Biol 44:1253–1263

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sasazuki S, Kodama H, Yoshimasu K et al (2000) Relation between green tea consumption and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese men and women. Ann Epidemiol 10:401–408

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mendelsohn ME, Karas RH (1999) The protective effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system. New Engl J Med 340:1801–1811

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC et al (1991) Postmenopausal estrogen therapy and cardiovascular disease: ten-year follow-up from the Nurses’ Health Study. N Engl J Med 325:756–762

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Isles CG, Hole DJ, Hawthorne VM et al (1992) Relation between coronary risk and coronary mortality in women of the Renfrew and Paisley survey: comparison with men. Lancet 339:702–706

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Farhat MY, Lavigne MC, Ramwell PW (1996) The vascular protective effects of estrogen. FASEB J 10:615–624

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kauser K, Rubanyi GM (1997) Vasculoprotection by estrogen contributes to gender difference in cardiovascular diseases; potential mechanism and role of endothelium. In: Dzau VJ, Rubanyi GM (eds) The endothelium in clinical practice. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 439–467

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rubanyi GM, Kaufmann J (1998) Estrogen and the vessel wall. Harwood, London

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tunstall-Pedoe H (1998) Myth and paradox of coronary risk and the menopause. Lancet 351:1425–1427

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Rossouw JE (2002) Hormones, genetic factors, and gender differences in cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Res 53:550–557

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tracy RE (1966) Sex difference in coronary disease: two opposing views. J Chronic Dis 19:1245–1251

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Liu PY, Death AK, Handelsman DJ (2003) Androgens and cardiovascular disease. Endocr Rev 24:313–340

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Group Coronary Drug Project Research (1973) The coronary drug project. Findings leading to discontinuation of the 2.5-mg day estrogen group. JAMA 226:652–657

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. The Veterans Administration Co-operative Urological Research Group (1967) Treatment and survival of patients with cancer of the prostate. Surg Gynecol Obstet 124:1011–1017

    Google Scholar 

  31. Caulin-Glaser T, Farrell WJ, Pfau FS et al (1998) Modulation of circulating cellular adhesion molecules in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. J Am Coll Cardiol 31:1555–1560

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kirkland R, Keenan BS, Probstfield JL et al (1987) Decrease in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at puberty in boys with delayed adolescence. Correlation with plasma testosterone levels. JAMA 257:502–507

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1980) The lipid research clinics population studies data book, vol 1. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

  34. De La Chapelle A (1981) The etiology of maleness in XX men. Hum Genet 51:105–116

    Google Scholar 

  35. Jenkins JS (1998) The voice of the castrato. Lancet 351:1877–1880

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Matsuda-Inoguchi N, Shimbo S, Zhang ZW et al (2000) Nutrient intake of working women in Bangkok, Thailand, as studied by total food duplicate method. Eur J Clin Nutr 54:187–194

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Yoshimoto Y, Muto S, Matsuura S et al (1994) A fundamental study concerning cardiovascular disease for middle-aged population residents of Chiang Mai Province in Thailand (1st report). J Kagawa Nutr Univ 25:61–80

    Google Scholar 

  38. Budoff MJ, Nasir K, Mao S et al (2006) Ethnic differences of the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis 187:343–350

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Bild DE, Detrano R, Peterson D et al (2005) Ethnic differences in coronary calcification. The Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Circulation 111:1313–1320

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Yoshiyuki Tohno, Setsuko Tohno, Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh, Apichat Sinthubua, Patipath Suwannahoy, Nutcharin Ongkana & Sikrai Laowatthanaphong

  2. Laboratory of Environmental Biology, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kinki University, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan

    Takeshi Minami

  3. Department of Anatomy, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan

    Cho Azuma

Authors
  1. Yoshiyuki Tohno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Setsuko Tohno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Takeshi Minami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Apichat Sinthubua
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Patipath Suwannahoy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Nutcharin Ongkana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Sikrai Laowatthanaphong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Cho Azuma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshiyuki Tohno.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tohno, Y., Tohno, S., Mahakkanukrauh, P. et al. Gender Difference in Accumulation of Calcium and Phosphorus in the Left Coronary Arteries of Thais. Biol Trace Elem Res 144, 17–26 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9016-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9016-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation