Emerging Vascular Risk Factors in Women: Any Differences from Men?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Vascular Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors like smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, age, and family history exhibit known gender disparities.
• Emerging CVD risk factors may also present differently in men and women regarding prevalence, severity, associations, and treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight gender differences in traditional and emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
• To emphasize the need for sex-specific considerations in CVD risk assessment and management, particularly for women.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing data on gender differences in vascular risk factors.
• Identification and categorization of traditional and emerging CVD risk factors with reported sex-based variations.

Main Results:

• Both traditional (e.g., smoking, hypertension) and emerging CVD risk factors (e.g., inflammatory markers, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic syndrome) demonstrate gender-specific patterns.
• Emerging risk factors such as certain inflammatory and hemostatic markers, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may differ between sexes.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing and incorporating gender differences in vascular risk factors is essential for accurate CVD risk assessment and tailored treatment strategies in women.
• Further prospective research is warranted to elucidate the precise relationships and clinical implications of these sex-based differences in CVD risk.