Female-specific risk factors, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and menopause, along with sex chromosomes and hormones, significantly impact the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
This review emphasizes the importance of incorporating sex-specific risk factors and biological mechanisms into the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases to improve patient outcomes.
In the era of individualized medicine, gaps in knowledge remain about sex-specific risk factors, diagnostic and treatment options that might reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improve outcomes for both women and men. In this review, contributions of biological mechanisms involving the sex chromosomes and the sex hormones on the cardiovascular system will be discussed in relationship to the female-specific risk factors for CVD: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, menopause and use of hormonal therapies for contraception and menopausal symptoms. Additionally, sex-specific factors to consider in the differential diagnosis and treatment of four prevalent CVDs (hypertension, stroke, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure) will be reviewed with emphasis on areas where additional research is needed.
Harvey et al. (Sun,) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease. Female-specific risk factors, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and menopause, along with sex chromosomes and hormones, significantly impact the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
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