Estrogen

Abstract

See related article, p 616–623 Sex differences in the prevalence and progression of numerous cardiovascular diseases are well documented, with males typically exhibiting greater severity and progression of disease compared with age-matched females. In contrast, females are more likely to develop autoimmune disease compared with age-matched males, both clinically and experimentally. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that certain autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.1 Based on the expanding literature linking the immune system with cardiovascular disease, the question arises if females lose their cardiovascular protection with immune dysfunction and the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular disease in SLE. Historically, female sex hormones have been thought to contribute to the lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in premenopausal women. However, despite numerous studies designed to investigate the role of female sex hormones in cardiovascular disease, data from both animal and clinical research remain controversial. Therefore, it was with great interest that we read the study by Gilbert et al2 in the current issue of Hypertension , which was designed to determine whether estrogen has a causal role in the development of hypertension in adulthood in SLE, an autoimmune disease with high prevalence …