Objective To observe the clinical characteristics of non arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in patients of different genders. MethodsA retrospective clinical analysis. A total of 183 cases (246 eyes) of NAION with complete diagnosis and treatment confirmed by Departments of Neuro-ophthalmology/Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Eye Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from June 2018 to December 2023 were included. Among them, 101 cases (138 eyes) were male and 82 cases (108 eyes) were female. Their age was (59.2±9.8) years. The number of right and left eyes were 120 and 126, respectively. The patient's gender, age, disease course, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, history of hyperlipidemia, history of smoking and drinking, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, and peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (pRNFL) thickness were recorded in detail. Visual field defects were classified into diffuse defects, ring scotoma, fan-shaped or wedge-shaped defects, upper and lower half defects, arcuate scotoma, and quadrantanopia. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine whether gender was an independent factor affecting the degree of visual field impairment in NAION. ResultsCompared with female patients, male patients showed earlier onset age, a shorter interval between binocular onsets, a higher morbidity rate of hyperlipidemia, and a higher proportion with history of smoking and drinking, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in disease duration, intraocular pressure, pRNFL thickness, and intraocular perfusion pressure between patients of different genders (P＞0.05). Female patients exhibited better BCVA than male patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05). The degree of visual field impairment in female patients was significantly better than that in males. Males’ visual field defects were mostly in the lower half, while females’ defects were mostly of arcuate scotoma, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the gender of male was an independent risk factor for severe visual field impairment in NAION patients (odds ratio=2.936, 95% confidence interval 1.275-6.763, P=0.011). ConclusionsMale NAION patients have an earlier onset age and a shorter interval between the initial and contralateral eye onset. Male patients exhibit a more severe degree of visual field impairment, which is mostly manifested as lower half visual field defect. While female patients tend to develop arcuate scotoma. After adjusting for other influencing factors, the gender of male remains an independent risk factor for severe visual impairment in NAION patients.