Mechanisms of Gender Differences in Cardiac Dysfunction Due to Heart Disease

摘要

Although gender-related differences in cardiac performance have been reported in different types of heart diseases, the mechanisms of such differences in cardiac dysfunction are not fully understood. Marked differences between males and females with respect to heart failure due to coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, aging and diabetes have been observed. In this article, we have reviewed the evidence that the gender dependent differences in cardiac dysfunction due to heart disease may be related to differences in hormonal imbalance, cardiac remodeling and apoptosis. Furthermore, differential alterations in subcellular function and signal transduction mechanisms in the failing hearts appear to be associated with gender-related difference in cardiac dysfunction.