Women's Health Research Center and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA.
Clin Sci (Lond). 2013 Oct;125(7):311-8. doi: 10.1042/CS20130140.
In recent years, the interest in studying the impact of sex steroids and gender on the regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease has been growing. Women are protected from most cardiovascular events compared with men until after menopause, and postmenopausal women are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications compared with premenopausal women. The pathophysiological mechanisms have not been elucidated, but are not likely to be as simple as the presence or absence of oestrogens, since hormone replacement therapy in elderly women in the Women's Health Initiative or HERS (Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study) did not provide primary or secondary prevention against cardiovascular events. Men are also thought to be at risk of cardiovascular disease at earlier ages than women, and these mechanisms too are not likely to be as simple as the presence of testosterone, since androgen levels fall in men with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. In fact, many investigators now believe that it is the reduction in androgen levels that frequently accompanies chronic disease and may exacerbate cardiovascular disease in men. In the present review, the roles of sex steroids and gender in mediating or protecting against hypertension and cardiovascular disease will be discussed.
近年来，人们对研究性激素和性别对血压和心血管疾病调节的影响越来越感兴趣。与男性相比，女性在绝经前通常能免受大多数心血管事件的影响，而绝经后女性发生心血管并发症的风险高于绝经前女性。其病理生理机制尚未阐明，但不太可能像雌激素的存在或缺失那样简单，因为妇女健康倡议或 HERS（心脏和雌激素/孕激素替代研究）中的老年女性激素替代疗法并未提供针对心血管事件的一级或二级预防。男性也被认为比女性更早地面临心血管疾病的风险，这些机制也不太可能像睾酮的存在那样简单，因为患有心血管和其他慢性疾病的男性雄激素水平会下降。事实上，许多研究人员现在认为，经常伴随慢性疾病的雄激素水平降低可能会使男性的心血管疾病恶化。在本次综述中，将讨论性激素和性别的作用，以及它们在介导或预防高血压和心血管疾病中的作用。
