Are Women the Fragile Sex? Or are They the Singular Sex?

Abstract

Women need specific intervention and information about their particularities, especially regarding CV risk factors, as well as the biological, pathophysiological, and social differences between the sexes. The majority of large clinical trials that address current cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were not conducted with enough women to generate robust evidence. 1 CVD in women remains poorly studied, poorly recognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated, generating worse outcomes. It is necessary to change this reality so that women are approached according to their singularities in order to reduce the burden of CVD by 2030. 2 Among the CV risk factors in Brazilian women, arterial hypertension, dietary risks, obesity, increased serum cholesterol, and fasting glucose stand out. 3 Sex-related CV risk factors, which affect CVD throughout life, play a crucial role in women. 4 Menopause, especially in women 40 years, promotes changes in body composition, with an increase in fat mass and a greater probability of metabolic syndrome. 5,6 Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and premature birth, increase CVD in adulthood. 7 The use of contraceptive hormones associated with arterial hypertension increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) by 12 times. 8 Polycystic ovary syndrome and autoimmune diseases contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. 9

Sex and Gender Equity in Research and Publishing: International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences endorses SAGER Guidelines

“…Women need to be included, respected, empowered, and adequately represented in many aspects of the scientific community. 7,8 Men and…”

Heart Disease is the Leading Cause of Death for Women – We must Change the Status Quo

“…2 Marques-Santos and Oliveira highlighted the differences in CVD between female and male sex and emphasized the higher proportional mortality in Brazilian women. 3 According to Global Burden of Disease 2019, in Brazil, CVD accounted for 22.42% of deaths in women, compared to 20.83% in men, considering all ages. 4 In the same line, Parapid & Bond highlight several aspects of the inequity unveiled by COVID-19 in women's lives, and they proposed actions to improve the careers of women in the frontline of the health-care sector.…”

“…It is up to all of us to ensure that will happen". 11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36660/ijcs.20210185 Pós-graduação em Cardiologia da UFRJ, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 1 Rio de Janeiro, RJ -Brazil Pós-Graduação em Ciências Cardiovasculares, Ebserh/HUAP, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 2 Niterói, RJ -Brazil Hospital Pró-Cardíaco, 3 Rio de janeiro, RJ -Brazil Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences, Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia, 4 Rio de Janeiro, RJ -Brazil Brazil is a continent-sized country with great heterogeneity and local diversity due to socioeconomic and cultural aspects of women's lives. Therefore, it is fundamental to promote initiatives to increase knowledge about the importance of cardiovascular health in all women's life courses.…”

“…Furthermore, it is crucial to better understand local disparities in women's cardiovascular health in order to define public policy and health care, reduce gaps, and promote gender equity in Brazilian health care. 3 We would like to thank Dr. Roxana Mehran, Professor of Medicine and Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Trials at the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai, for accepting the invitation to co-edit this issue. Dr. Mehran is an international leader in cardiology, and she is involved in multiple activities that contribute to the empowerment of women in cardiology and to coping with cardiovascular disease in women.…”

“…Postal Code 21941-913, Cidade Universitária, RJ -Brazil E-mail: glauciam@cardiol.br Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2021; 34(4):336-337 336PREFACEHeart Disease is the Leading Cause of Death for Women -We must Change the Status QuoGláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira1 and Claudio Tinoco Mesquita2,3,4…”