Abstract:
Coronary artery disease is a major cause of human mortality. It is stated that females have worse outcomes than
men following myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization. Gender differences in the coronary artery
diameters have also been speculated as one of the reasons for the above outcome. However, because of possible
confounding effects, such as the body size and heart weight, it is unclear if there is a true sex-specific effect on
coronary arterial size. The present study was undertaken to investigate the sex differences in the diameter of
coronary arteries in a group of adult Sri Lankan population. The diameters of the coronary arteries and their
branches were measured at predetermined sites in a total of thirty four apparently healthy hearts obtained from
cadavers during routine gross anatomy dissections. All measurements were taken using a sliding caliper capable of
measuring to the nearest 0.01mm. The mean coronary arterial diameters were significantly smaller in females than
in males. These differences persisted even after the diameters of coronary arteries were corrected for heart weight
and body surface areas. Precise knowledge of the expected normal coronary arterial diameter at a given anatomic
location is the first step towards developing a quantitative estimate of the severity of the coronary artery disease.
This study provides a reference data set for adult Sri Lankans against which to compare the diameters of coronary
arteries in various pathological conditions.