Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently?

doi:10.3390/jcm13041108

Review

. 2024 Feb 15;13(4):1108.

doi: 10.3390/jcm13041108.

Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently?

Katalin Farkas^{1

2}, Agata Stanek^{2

3}, Stephanie Zbinden^{2

4}, Barbara Borea^{2

5}, Simina Ciurica^{2

6}, Vanessa Moore⁷, Peggy Maguire⁷, Maria Teresa B Abola^{2

8}, Elaine B Alajar⁹, Antonella Marcoccia^{2

10}, Dilek Erer^{2

11}, Ana I Casanegra¹², Hiva Sharebiani^{2

13}, Muriel Sprynger^{2

14}, Maryam Kavousi^{2

15}, Mariella Catalano^{2

16}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Angiology, Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital, Tétényi út 12-16, 1115 Budapest, Hungary.
² VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland.
⁴ Department of Angiology, Zurich University Hospital, Ramistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Angiology and Haemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Genève, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Cardiology, Marie Curie Civil Hospital, CHU Charleroi, Chaussée de Bruxelles 140, 6042 Lodelinsart, Belgium.
⁷ European Institute of Women's Health, Ashgrove House, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, A96 N9K0 Dublin, Ireland.
⁸ Clinical Research Department, Education, Training and Research Services, Philippine Heart Center, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, 547 Pedro Gil Street, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines.
⁹ Manila Doctors Hospital, 667 United Nations Ave, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines.
¹⁰ Angiology and Autoimmunity Medical Unit, Rare Diseases Reference Center for Systemic Sclerosis, Sandro Pertini Hospital, 00157 Rome, Italy.
¹¹ Gazi University Hospital, Mevlana Blv. No:29, Yenimahalle, Ankara 06560, Turkey.
¹² Gonda Vascular Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA.
¹³ Support Association of Patients of Buerger's Disease, Buerger's Disease NGO, Mashhad 9183785195, Iran.
¹⁴ Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Liège, Hospital Boulevard, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
¹⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
¹⁶ Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Inter-University Research Center on Vascular Disease, University of Milan, GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy.

PMID: 38398419
PMCID: PMC10889109
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13041108

Review

Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently?

Katalin Farkas et al. J Clin Med. 2024.

. 2024 Feb 15;13(4):1108.

doi: 10.3390/jcm13041108.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Angiology, Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital, Tétényi út 12-16, 1115 Budapest, Hungary.
² VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland.
⁴ Department of Angiology, Zurich University Hospital, Ramistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Angiology and Haemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Genève, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Cardiology, Marie Curie Civil Hospital, CHU Charleroi, Chaussée de Bruxelles 140, 6042 Lodelinsart, Belgium.
⁷ European Institute of Women's Health, Ashgrove House, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, A96 N9K0 Dublin, Ireland.
⁸ Clinical Research Department, Education, Training and Research Services, Philippine Heart Center, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, 547 Pedro Gil Street, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines.
⁹ Manila Doctors Hospital, 667 United Nations Ave, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines.
¹⁰ Angiology and Autoimmunity Medical Unit, Rare Diseases Reference Center for Systemic Sclerosis, Sandro Pertini Hospital, 00157 Rome, Italy.
¹¹ Gazi University Hospital, Mevlana Blv. No:29, Yenimahalle, Ankara 06560, Turkey.
¹² Gonda Vascular Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA.
¹³ Support Association of Patients of Buerger's Disease, Buerger's Disease NGO, Mashhad 9183785195, Iran.
¹⁴ Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Liège, Hospital Boulevard, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
¹⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
¹⁶ Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Inter-University Research Center on Vascular Disease, University of Milan, GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy.

PMID: 38398419
PMCID: PMC10889109
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13041108

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, yet its magnitude is often underestimated. Biological and gender differences affect health, diagnosis, and healthcare in numerous ways. The lack of sex and gender awareness in health research and healthcare is an ongoing issue that affects not only research but also treatment and outcomes. The importance of recognizing the impacts of both sex and gender on health and of knowing the differences between the two in healthcare is beginning to gain ground. There is more appreciation of the roles that biological differences (sex) and sociocultural power structures (gender) have, and both sex and gender affect health behavior, the development of diseases, their diagnosis, management, and the long-term effects of an illness. An important issue is the knowledge and awareness of women about vascular diseases. The risk of cardiovascular events is drastically underestimated by women themselves, as well as by those around them. The purpose of this review is to draw attention to improving the medical care and treatment of women with vascular diseases.

Keywords: gender differences; risk factors; vascular diseases; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Tortuosity of the ICAs and S-curve (MRA).

**Figure 2**
Angulation of the post-bulbar ICA (DUS).

**Figure 3**
Dissection of the post-bulbar ICA (DUS).

**Figure 4**
Multifocal FMD of the post-bulbar ICA (DUS).

**Figure 5**
High−velocity flow in FMD stenosis (PW Doppler).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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[1] Bonita R., Beaglehole R. Women and NCDs: Overcoming the neglect. Glob. Health Action. 2014;7:23742. doi: 10.3402/gha.v7.23742. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] Bonita R., Beaglehole R. Women and NCDs: Overcoming the neglect. Glob. Health Action. 2014;7:23742. doi: 10.3402/gha.v7.23742. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Mauvais-Jarvis F., Bairey Merz N., Barnes P.J., Brinton R.D., Carrero J.J., DeMeo D.L., De Vries G.J., Epperson C.N., Govindan R., Klein S.L., et al. Sex and gender: Modifiers of health, disease, and medicine. Lancet. 2020;396:565–582. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31561-0. Erratum in Lancet 2020, 396, 668. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Mauvais-Jarvis F., Bairey Merz N., Barnes P.J., Brinton R.D., Carrero J.J., DeMeo D.L., De Vries G.J., Epperson C.N., Govindan R., Klein S.L., et al. Sex and gender: Modifiers of health, disease, and medicine. Lancet. 2020;396:565–582. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31561-0. Erratum in Lancet 2020, 396, 668. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Yerly A., van der Vorst E.P.C., Baumgartner I., Bernhard S.M., Schindewolf M., Döring Y. Sex-specific and hormone-related differences in vascular remodelling in atherosclerosis. Eur. J. Clin. Investig. 2023;53:e13885. doi: 10.1111/eci.13885. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Yerly A., van der Vorst E.P.C., Baumgartner I., Bernhard S.M., Schindewolf M., Döring Y. Sex-specific and hormone-related differences in vascular remodelling in atherosclerosis. Eur. J. Clin. Investig. 2023;53:e13885. doi: 10.1111/eci.13885. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Shannon G., Jansen M., Williams K., Cáceres C., Motta A., Odhiambo A., Eleveld A., Mannell J. Gender equality in science, medicine, and global health: Where are we at and why does it matter? Lancet. 2019;393:560–569. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33135-0. - DOI - PubMed

[8] Shannon G., Jansen M., Williams K., Cáceres C., Motta A., Odhiambo A., Eleveld A., Mannell J. Gender equality in science, medicine, and global health: Where are we at and why does it matter? Lancet. 2019;393:560–569. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33135-0. - DOI - PubMed

[9] Daitch V., Turjeman A., Poran I., Tau N., Ayalon-Dangur I., Nashashibi J., Yahav D., Paul M., Leibovici L. Underrepresentation of women in randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trials. 2022;23:1038. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-07004-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Daitch V., Turjeman A., Poran I., Tau N., Ayalon-Dangur I., Nashashibi J., Yahav D., Paul M., Leibovici L. Underrepresentation of women in randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trials. 2022;23:1038. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-07004-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently?

Affiliations

Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently?

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

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References

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Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

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References

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