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Effects of Hormones and Hormone Therapy on Cardiovascular Health in Women

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Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women

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Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in American women, causing approximately 250,000 women to die each year of ischemic heart disease, roughly six times more than the number of women who die from breast cancer [1]. When compared to age-matched men, the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is much lower in younger women [2]. The Framingham population study showed that coronary artery disease usually manifests 10 years later in women than it does in men [3]. This lag was punctuated by the age of menopause and was suggestive of a protective effect of estrogen [4]. The potential protective effects of female hormones on the cardiovascular system have been a topic of great interest. Loss of this protection after menopause may be linked to the increased incidence of CHD in older women [2].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Renee M. Dallasen MD & Diane M. Hartmann MD

  2. Division of Cardiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Hanna Z. Mieszczanska MD

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  1. Renee M. Dallasen MD
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  2. Hanna Z. Mieszczanska MD
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  3. Diane M. Hartmann MD
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Correspondence to Renee M. Dallasen MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA

    Hanna Z. Mieszczanska

  2. Division of Cardiology, University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

    Gladys P. Velarde

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Dallasen, R.M., Mieszczanska, H.Z., Hartmann, D.M. (2014). Effects of Hormones and Hormone Therapy on Cardiovascular Health in Women. In: Mieszczanska, H., Velarde, G. (eds) Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5517-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5517-1_16

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