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(Hypertension. 2005;46:475.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorial Commentaries

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension

Involvement of the Renin-Angiotensin System

Christine Maric

From the Department of Medicine and the Center for the Study of Sex Differences in Health, Aging, and Disease_, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Correspondence to Christine Maric, PhD, Center for the Study of Sex Differences in Health, Aging, and Disease, Georgetown University Medical Center, 394 Bldg D, 4000 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20057. E-mail cm255@georgetown.edu

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

The incidence and the progression rate of cardiovascular disease and hypertension (CVDH) is markedly higher in men than in age-matched, premenopausal women.¹ After menopause, this relationship no longer exists, and the incidence as well as the rate of progression of CVDH are very similar in women and men.¹ Sex differences in CVDH have also been reported in animal models, including the spontaneously hypertensive rat and² Dahl salt-sensitive rat,³ and ischemia-reperfusion injury.⁴ Although the mechanisms underlying these sex differences in the incidence and progression of CVDH are largely unknown, the role of sex hormones in modulating the activity of several regulatory systems, including the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has been suggested. In addition, genetic differences, especially with respect to the RAS, have also been implicated in mediating sex differences in the incidence and progression of CVDH.

In the current issue of Hypertension, Okumura et al⁵ describe the relationship between the differential expression of angiotensin II type 2 (AT₂) receptors in mediating vascular remodeling induced by polyethylene cuff placement around the femoral artery in the wild-type (Agtr2+) and AT₂ receptor null (Agtr2–) mice. The major findings of this study are: (1) AT₂ receptor expression is enhanced in the injured artery of the Agtr2+, and this is more pronounced in the females; (2) In the Agtr2+ mice, no significant differences in the expression of the AT₁ receptor are observed in either males or females; (3) The degree of vascular injury, as evidenced by increases . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

Sex Difference in Vascular Injury and the Vasoprotective Effect of Valsartan Are Related to Differential AT₂ Receptor Expression

Midori Okumura, Masaru Iwai, Ayumi Ide, Masaki Mogi, Masaharu Ito, and Masatsugu Horiuchi
Hypertension 2005 46: 577-583. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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