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Published on: November 8, 2024
Platelet Responses in Cardiovascular Disease: Sex-Related Differences in Nutritional and Pharmacological
Valeria Gasperi1, M Valeria Catani1, Isabella Savini1
1Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome 00133, Italy.
Insights
Sex differences significantly impact platelet function and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Understanding these disparities, including diet
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine
- Platelet Physiology and Thrombosis
- Nutritional Science and Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global cause of mortality, influenced by genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors.
- Platelet hyperactivity is a critical risk factor for major cardiovascular events, with significant sex and age-dependent variations.
- Existing research indicates that hormonal status, traditional risk factors, and platelet-specific mechanisms contribute to sex-related disparities in CVD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on sex differences in platelet biology and their association with cardiovascular events.
- To analyze how sex influences responses to antiplatelet therapies.
- To explore the role of diet, including polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavonoids, in sex-specific platelet function and CVD prevention.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review and synthesis of existing research on sex differences in platelet function.
- Analysis of studies investigating the relationship between sex, cardiovascular events, and antiplatelet drug efficacy.
- Examination of dietary factors and patterns impacting platelet function in a sex-dependent manner.
Main Results:
- Significant sex-related disparities exist in platelet functionality, influencing CVD onset and outcomes.
- These differences affect the efficacy of common antiplatelet therapies.
- Dietary components like polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavonoids, and dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, modulate platelet function differently between sexes.
Conclusions:
- A deeper understanding of gender-related differences in platelet biology is crucial for effective CVD management.
- Personalized strategies tailored to sex-specific factors are needed for preventing and treating platelet-mediated vascular damage.
- Dietary interventions should consider sex-specific responses for optimal cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent one of the biggest causes of death globally, and their prevalence, aetiology, and outcome are related to genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors, among which sex- and age-dependent differences may play a key role. Among CVD risk factors, platelet hyperactivity deserves particular mention, as it is involved in the pathophysiology of main cardiovascular events (including stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral vascular injury) and is closely related to sex/age differences. Several determinants (e.g., hormonal status and traditional cardiovascular risk factors), together with platelet-related factors (e.g., plasma membrane composition, receptor signaling, and platelet-derived microparticles) can elucidate sex-related disparity in platelet functionality and CVD onset and outcome, especially in relation to efficacy of current primary and secondary interventional strategies. Here, we examined the state of the art concerning sex differences in platelet biology and their relationship with specific cardiovascular events and responses to common antiplatelet therapies. Moreover, as healthy nutrition is widely recognized to play a key role in CVD, we also focused our attention on specific dietary components (especially polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavonoids) and patterns (such as Mediterranean diet), which also emerged to impact platelet functions in a sex-dependent manner. These results highlight that full understanding of gender-related differences will be useful for designing personalized strategies, in order to prevent and/or treat platelet-mediated vascular damage.
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