ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Women have higher risk of contrast-induced nephropathy than men. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative impact of gender on long-term renal function after percutaneous renal interventions (PRI). METHODS AND RESULTS: We included all patients undergoing PRI. Men (n = 72) and women (n = 28) had similar age, men had more diabetes, coronary and peripheral artery disease, higher serum creatinine and similar glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage > or =3 when compared with females. At follow-up, men had a significant improvement in GFR and systolic blood pressure, while females did not. The presence of severe CKD and male gender were the only predictors of long-term GFR improvement. CONCLUSION: Male patients and patients with poor baseline renal function showed an important benefit with PRI, suggesting that it is not too late for renal revascularization if properly indicated.