The role of sex in cardiac function and disease

In the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of sex in the etiology of cardiac dysfunction. While focus has been primarily on how sex modulates atherogenesis, it is becoming clear that sex is both a predictor of outcome and an independent risk factor for a number of other...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology 2006, Vol.84 (1), p.93-109
Main Authors: CZUBRYT, Michael P, ESPIRA, Leon, LAMOUREUX, Lise, ABRENICA, Bernard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Androgens - metabolism
Animals
Aromatase - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - metabolism
Demographic aspects
Disease Susceptibility
Estrogens - metabolism
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism
Health aspects
Heart
Heart - physiology
Hormones, Sex
Humans
Male
Progestins - metabolism
Sex Factors
Vertebrates: cardiovascular system
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Summary:In the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of sex in the etiology of cardiac dysfunction. While focus has been primarily on how sex modulates atherogenesis, it is becoming clear that sex is both a predictor of outcome and an independent risk factor for a number of other cardiac diseases. Animal models and human studies have begun to shed light on the mechanisms by which sex influences the function of cardiomyocytes in health and disease. This review will survey the current literature on cardiac diseases that are influenced by sex and discuss the intracellular mechanisms by which steroid sex hormones affect heart function. A theory on how sex may regulate myocardial energy metabolism to affect disease susceptibility and progression will be presented, as well as a discussion of how sex may influence outcomes of experiments on isolated cardiomyocytes by epigenetic marking.
ISSN:0008-4212
1205-7541
DOI:10.1139/Y05-151