Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women. Analyses suggest clinically relevant differences between women and men in terms of prevalence, presentation, management and outcomes of the disease, but little is known about why these differences exist. In a supplement to the Mar. 13 issue of CMAJ (available online at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/176/6/S1), Dr. Louise Pilote and coauthors from across Canada offer a comprehensive review of sex-specific issues related to cardiovascular disease. Eight broad topics are addressed, including the burden of cardiovascular disease in men and women, and cardiovascular risk factors in girls and boys. An in-depth review of the scientific literature is provided on each topic, along with a summary of current knowledge about the topic and questions that have yet to be answered. For instance, why are young women with acute coronary syndrome at greater risk of death than young men are with acute coronary syndrome, and why are the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease decreasing among men but stable among women?
The supplement was prepared by Pilote and other members of the GENESIS (Gender and Sex Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease: from Bench to Beyond) team, comprising over 40 multidisciplinary scientists across Canada who are studying the sex and gender determinants of cardiovascular disease. GENESIS is an interdisciplinary capacity enhancement team that receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (www.genesisteam.ca).
Pilote provides a summary of the supplement in the Mar. 13 issue of CMAJ. Also in the issue is a related commentary by Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, who critically appraises the supplement and highlights the important research priorities for Canadians and the international community.
http://www.cmaj.ca/pressrelease/s1.pdf
Journal
Canadian Medical Association Journal