Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular disease is the most common killer of women. During the last two decades, the prevalence of myocardial infarction — heart attack — has increased in women while it has decreased in men.

Women have higher rates of death after myocardial infarction, and younger women have higher mortality during hospitalization after myocardial infarction than do men of the same age — the younger the person, the higher the mortality among women as compared with men.

Additionally, among people ages 45 to 54, women are twice as likely as men to have a stroke.

Researchers have also learned that among women, microvascular dysfunction, subendocardial ischemia, inflammation, cardiometabolic dysfunction and neurohormonal imbalance are particularly important factors in myocardial ischemia.

Areas of focus

Cardiovascular disease research in the Women's Health Research Center is focused on:

• Microvascular dysfunction
• Inflammation
• Genetic predisposition
• Cardiometabolic dysfunction
• Hypertension
• Sex differences in autonomic control of the cardiovascular system

Faculty involved

Center faculty members involved in cardiovascular disease research include:

• Patricia J M Best, M.D.
• Vesna D. Garovic, M.D.
• Michael J. Joyner, M.D.
• Birgit Kantor, M.D.
• Amir Lerman, M.D.
• Lilach O. Lerman, M.D., Ph.D.
• Virginia M. Miller, Ph.D.
• Sharon L. Mulvagh, M.D.
• Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D.