Translational Perspectives on Cardiac Diseases Disproportionately Affecting Women
17 affiliations
- 1Department of Cardiology Bispebjerg‐ and Frederiksberg Hospital, University of Copenhagen Denmark
- 2African Population and Health Research Center Nairobi Kenya
- 3Department of Cardiology Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town South Africa
- 4Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports University of Copenhagen Denmark
- 5Department of Cardiology ProCardio Center for Research‐Based Innovation, Oslo University Hospital Oslo Norway
- 6University of Oslo Norway
- 7Department of Cardiology Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden
- 8Department of Health Science and Technology Aalborg University Gistrup Denmark
- 9Department of Congenital Disorders Statens Serum Institute Copenhagen Denmark
- 10Department of Cardiology Sahlgrenska University Hospital Gothenburg Sweden
- 11Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Sweden
- 12Department of Cardiology Cardiothoracic Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi India
- 13Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University Utrecht the Netherlands
- 14Department of Emergency Medicine and Women's Health Research Yale School of Medicine New Haven CT USA
- 15Institute for Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular & Renal Research Unit University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark
- 16Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus MC Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam the Netherlands
- 17Department of Cardiology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY USA
Abstract
Significant knowledge gaps persist on cardiovascular conditions that predominantly, disproportionately, or only affect women. Historically overshadowed by the focus on obstructive coronary artery disease, conditions such as myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy have only recently gained research attention, despite substantial prevalence and impact among women. Similarly, coronary microvascular dysfunction and vasospastic angina, long dismissed as symptoms of psychological origin, are now recognized as common and underdiagnosed mechanisms of chest pain. Disparities in research also extend to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, disproportionately affecting more women, and with comparable impacts on prognosis and quality of life, yet poorly understood compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Moreover, female hypertension is underestimated, underdiagnosed, and understudied. Furthermore, pregnancy‐related cardiovascular complications, including preeclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy underscore the urgent need for research into sex‐specific mechanisms and targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies, particularly in resource‐limited settings. This review consolidates knowledge on cardiovascular conditions with pronounced sex differences, focusing on translational discoveries that direct current strategies, but most of all, emphasizing the need for future research to bridge the gap between mechanistic insights and clinical application. By identifying knowledge gaps, this article provides a road map for advancing sex‐specific understanding and care in cardiovascular disease, ensuring progress in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Bridging the sex gap in cardiac research and care requires a multidisciplinary, globally inclusive approach. By integrating knowledge of biological, clinical, and sociocultural perspectives, we can move toward equitable and effective cardiovascular health for all.
Related
- A narrative review of stem cell-based therapy for fibrosing interstitial lung diseases: clinical evidence and translational perspectives
- DAMPs and NETs in Thyroid Diseases: Biological, Diagnostic, and Translational Perspectives
- Factors Affecting Mortality Following Cardiac Surgery in the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Protocol for an individual patient data meta-analysis for the assessment of risk factors affecting the development and outcome of functional and structural acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: the METARIS CS-AKI study
- A real-time forecasting framework for emerging infectious diseases affecting animal populations
BibTeX
@article{mygind2026translational,
title = {{Translational Perspectives on Cardiac Diseases Disproportionately Affecting Women}},
author = {Naja Dam Mygind and Gershim Asiki and Blanche Cupido and Lasse Gliemann and Kristina Hermann Haugaa and Ylva Hellsten and Cecilia Linde and Mette Nyegaard and Elimir Omerovic and Ambuj Roy and Hester den Ruijter and Basmah Safdar and Ulrike Muscha Steckelings and Jeanine Roeters van Lennep and Birgit Vogel and Eva Prescott},
journal = {Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1161/jaha.126.050650},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.126.050650},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Translational Perspectives on Cardiac Diseases Disproportionately Affecting Women
AU - Naja Dam Mygind
AU - Gershim Asiki
AU - Blanche Cupido
AU - Lasse Gliemann
AU - Kristina Hermann Haugaa
AU - Ylva Hellsten
AU - Cecilia Linde
AU - Mette Nyegaard
AU - Elimir Omerovic
AU - Ambuj Roy
AU - Hester den Ruijter
AU - Basmah Safdar
AU - Ulrike Muscha Steckelings
AU - Jeanine Roeters van Lennep
AU - Birgit Vogel
AU - Eva Prescott
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
DO - 10.1161/jaha.126.050650
UR - https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.126.050650
AB - Significant knowledge gaps persist on cardiovascular conditions that predominantly, disproportionately, or only affect women. Historically overshadowed by the focus on obstructive coronary artery disease, conditions such as myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy have only recently gained research attention, despite substantial prevalence and impact among women. Similarly, coronary microvascular dysfunction and vasospastic angina, long dismissed as symptoms of psychological origin, are now recognized as common and underdiagnosed mechanisms of chest pain. Disparities in research also extend to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, disproportionately affecting more women, and with comparable impacts on prognosis and quality of life, yet poorly understood compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Moreover, female hypertension is underestimated, underdiagnosed, and understudied. Furthermore, pregnancy‐related cardiovascular complications, including preeclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy underscore the urgent need for research into sex‐specific mechanisms and targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies, particularly in resource‐limited settings. This review consolidates knowledge on cardiovascular conditions with pronounced sex differences, focusing on translational discoveries that direct current strategies, but most of all, emphasizing the need for future research to bridge the gap between mechanistic insights and clinical application. By identifying knowledge gaps, this article provides a road map for advancing sex‐specific understanding and care in cardiovascular disease, ensuring progress in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Bridging the sex gap in cardiac research and care requires a multidisciplinary, globally inclusive approach. By integrating knowledge of biological, clinical, and sociocultural perspectives, we can move toward equitable and effective cardiovascular health for all.
SN - 2047-9980
ER -