Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5503327 | Maturitas | 2017 | 59 Pages |
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both women and men. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial, with sex hormones playing an important role. Androgens have both direct and indirect effects on the vasculature. This review summarizes evidence on the association of both endogenous and exogenous androgens with subclinical and overt cardiovascular disease in women and men. Concerning women, both high and low levels of endogenous androgens have been associated with cardiovascular disease, while other studies have reported no association. Adiposity, impaired glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia and estrogen levels may mediate the observed associations. Regarding testosterone therapy in women, there have been no large prospective studies on cardiovascular outcomes. Concerning men, most studies indicate that low levels of circulating testosterone are associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease in the general population; the causality, however, of this association remains to be proven. Testosterone replacement therapy in men with symptoms of hypogonadism and low serum testosterone merits caution with regard to cardiovascular safety, as evidence is still conflicting.
Keywords
SWANRCTCHDMtFDHEASPWVIHDSHBGIMTFAIAIXHRTTRTFMDDHTADMAHSDDPCOSCACFtMRandomized controlled trialandrogensHypoactive Sexual Desire Disorderstandard deviationcoronary artery diseasecoronary heart diseasecardiovascular diseasetestosteronerandomized controlled Flow mediated dilationTestosterone replacement therapyasymmetric dimethylarginineDihydrotestosteroneCVDWomenFemale-to-malePulse wave velocityPolycystic ovary syndromedehydroepiandrosterone sulfatefree androgen indexAugmentation indexbody mass indexBMICardio-ankle vascular indexBrachial arteryintima media thicknessCADcardiovascularMESAmale-to-femaleMenhazard ratioodds ratiohormone replacement therapysex hormone binding globulinCAVICoronary artery calcification
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Authors
Eleni Armeni, Irene Lambrinoudaki,