Biology of Women’s Heart Health

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women and men worldwide and represents a major financial burden to world health care systems. Importantly, CVD has eclipsed cancer as the leading cause of death for women globally. Through advancements in research and clinical testing, the symptoms and risk factors for CVD have been well established for men, but not for women. Consequently, there is an immediate need for new innovative research that will bridge this gap and allow for improved early diagnosis and treatment of CVD in women. This book will serve as a guide for health care providers to better understand the physiological, biochemical, and genetic differences in heart disease in women with the goal of providing improved education, awareness and treatment of cardiovascular disease in women. The book will cover topics such as: sex dependent clinical outcomes of cardiovascular disease, cardiac protection by estrogen, cardiac health during menopause, cardiac rehabilitation programs, fitness and exercise, cardio-oncology, shift work and the CVD risk, and pregnancy related CVD.