Sex differences in outcome after endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) in patients with emphysema: a retrospective analysis of the German Lung Emphysema Registry (LER e.V.)

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) is increasingly used for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hyperinflation. Data on sex differences in ELVR outcomes are lacking, highlighting the need for detailed analysis. METHODS: This retrospective analysis examines sex-specific outcomes of ELVR with bronchoscopic valve placement using data from the German Lung Emphysema Registry (January 2017 to January 2025). RESULTS: The final analysis included 778 patients, 378 (47.2%) women, mean age 65.9±7.6 years. No significant differences in age or body mass index. At baseline, women had slightly better forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1))% (31.4±8.5 vs 28.1±8.1, p<0.001) and vital capacity% (63.6±16.9 vs 59.2±14.8, p<0.001), but similar residual volume (RV)%. Men had higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease (20.9% vs 11.7%) and atrial fibrillation (7.3% vs 3.5%), p<0.05. Despite this, women reported a higher symptom burden with higher COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores (25.9±6.1 vs 24.9±6.1, p<0.001), but similar St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores. Follow-up at 3 months for 574 patients showed no sex differences in

• Atug, E.
• Trudzinski, F. C.
• Holland, A.
• Grah, C.
• Huebner, R. H.
• Stanzel, F.
• Eggeling, S.
• Schmidt, B.
• Kurz, S.
• Eisenmann, S.
• Krist, J.
• Ficker, J.
• Wiesemann, B.
• Gesierich, W.
• Eberhardt, R.