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©2009 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
Oxidative status and cardiovascular risk in women: Keeping pink at heart
Cristina Vassalle, Antonella Mercuri, Silvia Maffei, G. Monasterio Foundation & Institute of Clinical Physiology-CNR, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
Author contributions: Vassalle C has conceived and written the manuscript, including acquisition and analysis and interpretation of data available in literature; Mercuri A and Maffei S have critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content.
Correspondence to: Dr. Cristina Vassalle, PhD, G. Monasterio Foundation & Institute of Clinical Physiology-CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy. cristina.vassalle@ifc.cnr.it
Telephone: +39-50-3152199 Fax: +39-50-3152166
Received: November 21, 2009
Revised: December 9, 2009
Accepted: December 14, 2009
Published online: December 31, 2009
Revised: December 9, 2009
Accepted: December 14, 2009
Published online: December 31, 2009
Abstract
Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) has always been perceived as a pathology regarding essentially males, incidence and death from cardiovascular events dramatically increase after menopause in women. Obviously, while many aspects of CVD are similar in both sexes, it is now clear that there are significant differences as well. Exploration of these gender-related differences in CVD might provide a basis for the development of new strategies in the management of patients with CVD from a gender point of view. In particular, a growing amount of data suggested the possible major role of oxidative stress in female patients and the possibility to integrate this new biomarker in future study evaluating CVD risk in women.
Keywords: Cardiovascular; Risk factors; Menopause; Gender; Women; Oxidative stress