Year: 2002
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The initial interst in coronary- heart disease research in the 1950s centered \nprimarily on men because of its emergence as a major cause of morbidity \nand mortality in men around middle age. In women, the incidence of coronary \nheart disease is low at younger age and increases after middle age, though the \noccurrence remains lower in women than in men at all ages. The fact that cardiovascular \ndisease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in women has \nbeen recognized already for many years and the last decade much effort has \nbeen put in describing and studying cardiovascular disease in women. Despite \nthe research that has been carried out on the differences in cardiovascular disease \nbetween the sexes, the gender gap in coronary- heart disease occurrence is \nnot completely understood until now. 1 \nThe work presented in this thesis aims at gaining insight into gender specific \nissues of cardiovascular disease and the cause of the rising incidence of cardiovascular \ndisease in women after middle age by studying putative endocrine and \nmetabolic risk factors. Data from various population-based studies were used to \nstudy these issues. \nIn chapter 2, studies on classical cardiovascular disease risk factors attenuating \nthe female advantage with regard to cardiovascular disease occurrence \nare presented. Chapter 3 contains studies on sex specific determinants of cardiovascular \ndisease with a focus on sex steroids. In chapter 4, studies on alternative \nendocrine cardiovascular disease risk factors in postmenopausal women \nare described. In chapter 5, the results described in this thesis are placed in a \nbroader context, some methodological considerations are discussed, and views \non further research regarding gender specific issues of cardiovascular disease \nare put forward.
Author: Liesbeth Hak
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2169054396