Ventricular Arrhythmias

There are sex differences in epidemiology and presentation of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is less common in women than in men. Women are less likely to present with ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia and more likely to present with pulseless electrical activity or asystole than men at the time of out-of-hospital arrest. Women receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for primary prevention are less likely to experience ventricular arrhythmias during follow-up than men. The pathophysiological basis for sex differences in arrhythmias is poorly understood and requires further investigation.