Sex Differences In Cardiovascular Physiology And Pathophysiology

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology is a comprehensive look into the often overlooked and underappreciated fundamental sex differences between men and women and how those differences affect the cardiovascular system. It covers cardiovascular function, anatomy, cell signaling and the development of pathology. With contributions from world-renowned research investigators, this up-to-date reference compiles critical knowledge on cardiovascular sex differences, providing researchers and clinicians with a better understanding of the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in both men and women. Identifies the fundamental sex differences in the physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system Describes cell signaling pathways involved in sex-associated cardiovascular function and diseases Puts the sex differences in cardiovascular diseases in the forefront to improve cardiovascular prognoses

This book reviews all aspects of the diagnosis and management of heart disease in women, covering areas such as gender differences in metabolic syndrome, hypertension and atherogenesis. Gender differences in cardiovascular diseases are widespread, but while gender medicine takes into account the effects of sex and gender on the health of women and men, traditionally, women have been underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials, in management of different cardiac diseases and drug use. Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Management of Heart Disease deals with the gender-specific differences in cardiac physiology and diseases and brings into perspective the critical significance of gender in management of cardiovascular disease presentations and management. As such it is of enormous use to all clinical staff who manage women with cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in men and women. Unfortunately, women have traditionally been excluded from clinical trials, and female animals have been used less or sex was not reported in basic research studies. Until recently, consideration of both sexes was not required in clinical and preclinical studies focusing on cardiovascular diseases. However, the number of clinical and experimental papers dealing with sex differences and heart disease significantly increases during the last years. This trend is obviously the result of at least two facts: the number of examples of different behavior of the male and female heart under physiological and pathological conditions is steadily increasing and there were controversial reports on the beneficial and adverse effect of hormonal replacement therapy. Detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of these differences are still unknown but one is clear already today: sex differences are so important that they should be considered by the selection of optimum diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in clinical practice. The book presents 16 manuscripts on sex differences of heart disease, as developed by several investigators; the volume is organized in four parts. Part I, dealing with sex differences in cardiac ischemic injury, includes 5 chapters on experimental aspects of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury, the role of testosterone, and clinical aspects of ischemic heart disease. Part II is devoted to sex differences in heart failure and includes four chapters. Discussion in this part of the book is centered around the sex differences in heart failure due to volume overload. Part III of this volume includes four papers on risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, namely hypertension and obesity, and, finally, three chapters in part IV deal with sex differences of cardiac mitochondria under different pathological conditions. We believe this book will be very useful for cardiovascular scientists, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other health professionals.

Sex Differences in Physiology is an all-encompassing reference that details basic science research into sex differences in all physiological fields. It includes scientific discoveries concerning sex differences in cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal physiology. In addition, coverage of the development, endocrinology, neurophysiology, immunity, and metabolism is included, making this important reference a resource that will meet the needs of investigators interested in incorporating sex differences into their research programs, while also providing clinicians with the basis for providing the best sex-based medical treatment options available. Provides a sweeping, organ-by-organ review of currently observed sex differences in animal models and human disease Explains how sex differences influence physiology and disease Provides the critical knowledge on sex differences for better understanding of prevention and treatment of diseases

Many of the mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular disease and hypertension are well known, and gender is an independent risk factor in many cohorts. How gender contributes to cardiovascular disease has not been completely elucidated. Even in normotensive populations, blood pressure is higher in men than women, although why this occurs is unclear. While both men and women suffer from high incidences of cardiovascular disease, women are typically protected against cardiovascular disease until after menopause, so that on average they are about 10 years older than men when these diseases develop, making aging a confounding problem contributing to increased morbidity. Because hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease in both men and women, this review will focus on hypertension, and the mechanisms that have been found to play a role in mediating blood pressure control and how they differ in men and women.

Significant biological differences exist between men and women that contribute to sex-specific differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, pathophysiology, presentation, response to therapy, and prognosis. It is essential for clinicians to be cognizant of these sex-specific differences in order to reduce the disparity in diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases in both genders. Sex Differences in Cardiac Disease provides a timely review of the contemporary data on these sex-specific differences in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management of cardiovascular diseases that fills a void for clinicians in practice and training. With contributions from renowned experts in the field and guideline writers, the text provides a state-of-the-art review of each topic encompassing the full spectrum of CVD in men and women. Sex-specific guideline-based recommendations are highlighted when available. Tailored to meet the needs of the busy clinicians and researchers, this text provides concise practical data to care for men and women at risk for or with CVD. The book serves as an essential resource for researchers, cardiologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, internists, family practitioners, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and respective trainees who treat men and women with CVD. Provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art text written by internationally renowned experts in the field of CVD disease, serving as an indispensable resource for clinicians and researchers Enables the reader to understand the sexual dimorphism in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of the full spectrum of cardiovascular issues including ischemic heart disease, valvular disorders, arrhythmias, and heart failure Provides a concise evidence-based practical review of medical topics, with key points and eye-catching visual infographics to meet the needs of the busy clinicians, policy makers and researchers.

Differences in physiology between men and women extend far beyond differences in reproductive functions. Medical literature abounds in descriptions of differences in prevalence, symptoms and severity of diseases between men and women including heart attack, rheumatic diseases, gastrointestinal disease and osteoporosis. Much of the information is descriptive rather than mechanistic and scattered throughout a variety of books, review articles and original papers. This book provides a single source that summarizes current basic mechanisms of gene/hormone interactions and their subsequent impact on physiological functions. It is an ideal source material to be used in training the next generation of physician/scientists who will develop a more individualized approach to prevention, diagnosis and therapeutic medical practice.

This book gathers together contributions from internationally renowned authors in the field of cardiovascular systems and provides crucial insight into the importance of sex- and gender-concepts during the analysis of patient data. This innovative title is the first to offer the elements necessary to consider sex-related properties in both clinical and basic studies regarding the heart and circulation on multiscale levels (i.e. molecular, cellular, electrophysiologically, neuroendocrine, immunoregulatory, organ, allometric, and modeling). Observed differences at (ultra)cellular and organ level are quantified, with focus on clinical relevance and implications for diagnosis and patient management. Since the cardiovascular system is of vital importance for all tissues, Sex-Specific Analysis of Cardiovascular Function is an essential source of information for clinicians, biologists, and biomedical investigators. The wide spectrum of differences described in this book will also act as an eye-opener and serve as a handbook for students, teachers, scientists and practitioners.