CVD (cardiovascular disease) is the leading cause of death for women. Considerable progress has been made in both our understanding of the complexities governing menopausal hormone therapy and our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying hormone and hormone receptor function. Understanding the interplay of atherosclerosis and sex steroid hormones and their cognate receptors at the level of the vessel wall has important ramifications for clinical practice. In the present review, we discuss the epidemiology of CVD in men and women, the clinical impact of sex hormones on CVD, and summarize our current understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis with a focus on gender differences in CVD, its clinical presentation and course, and pathobiology. The critical animal and human data that pertain to the role of oestrogens, androgens and progestins on the vessel wall is also reviewed, with particular attention to the actions of sex hormones on each of the three key cell types involved in atherogenesis: the endothelium, smooth muscle cells and macrophages. Where relevant, the systemic (metabolic) effects of sex hormones that influence atherogenesis, such as those involving vascular reactivity, inflammation and lipoprotein metabolism, are discussed. In addition, four key current concepts in the field are explored: (i) total hormone exposure time and coronary heart disease risk; (ii) the importance of tissue specificity of sex steroid hormones, critical timing and the stage of atherosclerosis in hormone action; (iii) biomarkers for atherosclerosis with regard to hormone therapy; and (iv) the complex role of sex steroids in inflammation. Future studies in this field will contribute to guiding clinical treatment recommendations for women and help define research priorities.
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Review Article|
September 01 2010
Atherosclerosis and sex hormones: current concepts
Amparo C. Villablanca;
*Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A.
Correspondence: Professor Amparo C. Villablanca (email [email protected]).
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Muthuvel Jayachandran;
Muthuvel Jayachandran
†Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A.
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Carole Banka
Carole Banka
‡Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, U.S.A.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
May 04 2010
Revision Received:
July 07 2010
Accepted:
July 08 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Biochemical Society
2010
Clin Sci (Lond) (2010) 119 (12): 493–513.
Article history
Received:
May 04 2010
Revision Received:
July 07 2010
Accepted:
July 08 2010
Citation
Amparo C. Villablanca, Muthuvel Jayachandran, Carole Banka; Atherosclerosis and sex hormones: current concepts. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 December 2010; 119 (12): 493–513. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20100248
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