Gender differences in clinical characteristics of patients with non‐cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in different age groups in northern China

INTRODUCTION: Patient gender has clinical and prognostic implications in non‐cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, yet the potential effect of gender on clinical characteristics of patients with non‐cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis is still unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the gender differences in clinical characteristics of patients with bronchiectasis in different age groups in northern China. METHODS: A total of 777 patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis were retrospectively included in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and divided into two groups by gender: the male group and the female group. Each group was then subdivided into two according to their age (≤65 and >65 years). Gender differences in clinical characteristics were compared in all patients with bronchiectasis in the two age groups, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 777 bronchiectasis patients were included. Of these patients, the prevalence of female non‐smokers was substantially higher than that of male non‐smokers (94.0% vs. 36.8%). There were gender differences in etiology of bronchiectasis, with more post‐measles and connective tissue disease in females (p = 0.006 and 0.002 separately) and more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in males (p < 0.001). The male group had a significantly higher C‐reactive protein (CRP) on admission (p = 0.03). Female patients showed a higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s as percentage of predicted volume (FEV1%pred) and forced vital capacity rate of 1 s (FEV1/FVC) (p < 0.001), lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)) (p = 0.04) and hospital costs (p = 0.02) than males, and a higher prevalence of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in >65‐year‐old group (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: There were many differences between male and female patients in smoking status, etiology, lung function, blood gas analysis, and hospital costs in all patients or different age groups.