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REFRESHER COURSE

Sex and the cardiovascular system: the intriguing tale of how women and men regulate cardiovascular function differently

Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, Center for Gender Physiology and Environmental Adaptation, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: V. H. Huxley, Dept. of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, Center for Gender Physiology and Environmental Adaptation, Univ. of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212 (HuxleyV{at}health.missouri.edu)

Abstract

The ability to recognize and appreciate from a reproductive standpoint that males and females possess different attributes has been long standing. Only more recently have we begun to look more deeply into both the similarities and differences between men and women, as well as between boys and girls, with respect to the structure and function of other organ systems. This article focuses on the cardiovascular system, with examples of sex differences in the control of coronary function, blood pressure, and volume. Recognizing the differences between the sexes with respect to cardiovascular function facilitates understanding of the mechanisms whereby homeostasis can be achieved using different contributions or components of the living system. Furthermore, recognition of the differences as well as the similarities permits the design of appropriate diagnostic instruments, recognition of sex-specific pathophysiology, and implementation of appropriate treatment of cardiovascular disease in men and women.

Key words: heart rate; blood pressure; volume homeostasis; microvascular function

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