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Sex-specific considerations in cardiovascular drug therapy
Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin1, Shuangbo Liu2, Lorrie A Kirshenbaum1,3
1The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady College of Medicine, Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatments need sex-specific adjustments. Understanding these sex-related pharmacological differences is key to optimizing therapies for both women and men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Sex Differences in Medicine
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading global cause of death.
- Current CVD drug therapy guidelines often overlook sex-specific differences.
- These differences impact drug efficacy and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review sex-specific differences in cardiovascular drug therapies.
- To highlight the influence of sex on drug efficacy and CVD outcomes.
- To advocate for sex-informed treatment guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review.
- Analysis of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic variations between sexes.
- Examination of drugs commonly used for CVDs.
Main Results:
- Significant sex-based differences exist in drug metabolism, excretion, and protein binding.
- These variations influence how women and men respond to cardiovascular medications.
- Current guidelines may not adequately address these sex-specific factors.
Conclusions:
- Sex is a critical factor in cardiovascular drug efficacy and treatment outcomes.
- Optimizing CVD therapies requires acknowledging and integrating sex-specific differences.
- Development of tailored guidelines is essential for improved patient care.
Abstract:
Despite major advances in cardiac research over the past three decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) still remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women and men worldwide. However, a major challenge for health care providers is that the current guidelines for cardiovascular drug therapies do not consider the impact of sex in the development of treatment plan for optimizing therapies for women. Clinical research in recent years suggests significant pharmacological and pharmacokinetic differences between females and males, which have been attributed in part to differences in body composition, plasma protein binding capacity, drug metabolism, and excretion. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review regarding sex-specific differences and drugs commonly used for CVDs in women and men. Understanding how sex-related differences influence drug efficacy and CVD outcomes is crucial for not only optimizing treatment strategies for women and men but also to encourage the implementation of specific guidelines that address sex difference as a consideration for the treatment of CVDs.
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