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Sex Differences in Epidemiology of Cardiac and Vascular Disease

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Sex-Specific Analysis of Cardiovascular Function

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1065))

Abstract

In spite of a remarkable decline in death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) observed over the last decades, CVD still remains the leading cause of mortality in both men and women worldwide. Overall the age-adjusted CVD mortality and morbidity rates are highest in men than in women. However, the risk of CVD in women should not be underestimated given that approximately one of two women in developed countries will die of mostly preventable heart diseases or stroke. Although men and women share the same cardiovascular risk factors, there are substantial sex differences in the first manifestation and clinical presentation of CVD. In this part of the chapter, we will discuss the recent epidemiological data on sex discrepancies in the prevalence and burden of different CVDs.

Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases. Art work by Piet Michiels, Leuven, Belgium

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology, KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Tatiana Kuznetsova

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  1. Tatiana Kuznetsova
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Correspondence to Tatiana Kuznetsova .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter L. M. Kerkhof

  2. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Virginia M. Miller

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Kuznetsova, T. (2018). Sex Differences in Epidemiology of Cardiac and Vascular Disease. In: Kerkhof, P., Miller, V. (eds) Sex-Specific Analysis of Cardiovascular Function. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1065. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77932-4_4

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