The decline in estrogen levels after menopause exacerbates risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation, contributing to the higher prevalence of HFpEF in women.
This review highlights the pathophysiological role of estrogen depletion in driving the increased prevalence of HFpEF and its associated risk factors in postmenopausal women.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major subtype of heart failure, primarily characterized by a normal or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction along with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of HFpEF is higher in women than that in men, particularly in postmenopausal women. Concurrently, it has been observed that the incidence of risk factors contributing to HFpEF (such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation) also notably increases post-menopause, affecting the incidence of HFpEF. This review aimed to examine the relationship between estrogen and risk factors associated with HFpEF, clarifying the underlying mechanisms through which estrogen affects these risk factors from epidemiological and pathophysiological perspectives. This review also provides a comprehensive understanding of the association between estrogen and the risk factors for HFpEF, thus helping explore potential targets for HFpEF treatment.
Du et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Estrogen was evaluated. The decline in estrogen levels after menopause exacerbates risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation, contributing to the higher prevalence of HFpEF in women.