Long Term Prognostic Impact of Sex-specific Longitudinal Changes in Blood Pressure. The EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Cohort Study

Replacement with sex steroids in hypopituitary men and women: implications for gender differences in morbidities and mortality

Hypopituitarism is a heterogenous disorder characterised by a deficiency in one or more anterior pituitary hormones. There are marked sex disparities in the morbidity and mortality experienced by patients with hypopituitarism. In women with hypopituitarism, the prevalence of many cardiovascular risk factors, myocardial infarction, stroke and mortality are significantly elevated compared to the general population, however in men, they approach that of the general population. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) is the most sexually dimorphic pituitary hormone axis. Gonadotropin deficiency is caused by a deficiency of either hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or pituitary gonadotropins, namely follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). HPG axis dysfunction results in oestrogen and testosterone deficiency in women and men, respectively. Replacement of deficient sex hormones is the mainstay of treatment in individuals not seeking fertility. Oestrogen and testosterone replacement in women and men, respectively, have numerous beneficial health impacts. These benefits include improved body composition, enhanced insulin sensitivity, improved atherogenic lipid profiles and increased bone mineral density. Oestrogen replacement in women also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. When women and men are considered together, untreated gonadotropin deficiency is independently associated with an increased mortality risk. However, treatment with sex hormone replacement reduces the mortality risk comparable to those with an intact gonadal axis. The reasons for the sex disparities in mortality remain poorly understood. Potential explanations include the reversal of women's natural survival advantage over men, premature loss of oestrogen's cardioprotective effect, less aggressive cardiovascular risk factor modification and inadequate oestrogen replacement in women with gonadotropin deficiency. Regrettably, historical inertia and unfounded concerns about the safety of oestrogen replacement in women of reproductive age have impeded the treatment of gonadotropin deficiency.

Adherence to guideline-recommended care of late-onset hypertension in females versus males: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Sex-based disparities in cardiovascular outcomes may be improved with appropriate hypertension management.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the evidence-based evaluation and management of females with late-onset hypertension compared to males in the contemporary era.

METHODS

Design: Retrospective population-based cohort study.

SETTING

Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Residents aged ≥66 years with newly diagnosed hypertension between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017.

EXPOSURE

Sex (female vs. male).

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

We used Poisson and logistic regression to estimate adjusted sex-attributable differences in the performance of guideline-recommended lab investigations. We estimated adjusted differences in time to the prescription of, and type of, first antihypertensive medication prescribed between females and males, using Cox regression.

RESULTS

Among 111,410 adults (mean age 73 years, 53% female, median follow-up 6.8 years), females underwent a similar number of guideline-recommended investigations (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.997 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.002]) compared to males. Females were also as likely to complete all investigations (0.70% females, 0.77% males; adjusted odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI 0.83-1.11]). Females were slightly less likely to be prescribed medication (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.98 [95% CI 0.96-0.99]) or, among those prescribed, less likely to be prescribed first-line medication (aHR, 0.995 [95% CI 0.994-0.997]).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to males, females with late-onset hypertension were equally likely to complete initial investigations with comparable prescription rates. These findings suggest that there may be no clinically meaningful sex-based differences in the initial management of late-onset hypertension to explain sex-based disparities in cardiovascular outcomes.

Associations of traditional cardiovascular risk factors with 15-year blood pressure change and trajectories in Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

How traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are related to long-term blood pressure change (BPC) or trajectories remain unclear. We aimed to examine the independent associations of these factors with 15-year BPC and trajectories in Chinese adults.

METHODS

We included 15 985 participants who had attended three surveys, including 2004-2008 baseline survey, and 2013-2014 and 2020-2021 resurveys, over 15 years in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). We measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), height, weight, and waist circumference (WC). We asked about the sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol drinking, intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and red meat, and physical activity, using a structured questionnaire. We calculated standard deviation (SD), cumulative blood pressure (cumBP), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV) as long-term BPC proxies. We identified blood pressure trajectories using the latent class growth model.

RESULTS

Most baseline sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were associated with cumBP. After adjusting for other characteristics, the cumSBP (mmHg × year) increased by 116.9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 111.0, 122.7] for every 10 years of age. The differences of cumSBP in heavy drinkers of ≥60 g pure alcohol per day and former drinkers were 86.7 (60.7, 112.6) and 48.9 (23.1, 74.8) compared with less than weekly drinkers. The cumSBP in participants who ate red meat less than weekly was 29.4 (12.0, 46.8) higher than those who ate red meat daily. The corresponding differences of cumSBP were 127.8 (120.7, 134.9) and 70.2 (65.0, 75.3) for BMI per 5 kg/m 2 and WC per 10 cm. Most of the findings of other BPC measures by baseline characteristics were similar to the cumBP, but the differences between groups were somewhat weaker. Alcohol drinking was associated with several high-risk trajectories of SBP and DBP. Both BMI and WC were independently associated with all high-risk blood pressure trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

Several traditional CVD risk factors were associated with unfavorable long-term BPC or blood pressure trajectories in Chinese adults.

Addressing the Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Women: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for approximately 35% of all deaths in women. In 2019, the global age-standardized CVD prevalence and mortality of women were 6,403 per 100,000 and 204 per 100,000, respectively. Although the age- and population-adjusted prevalence has decreased globally, opposite trends are evident in regions of socioeconomic deprivation. Cardiovascular health and outcomes are influenced by regional socioeconomic, environmental, and community factors, in addition to health care system and individual factors. Cardiovascular care in women is commonly plagued by delayed diagnoses, undertreatment, and knowledge gaps, particularly in women-specific or women-predominant conditions. In this paper, we describe the global epidemiology of CVD and highlight multilevel determinants of cardiometabolic health. We review knowledge and health care gaps that serve as barriers to improving CVD outcomes in women. Finally, we present national, community, health care system, and research strategies to comprehensively address cardiometabolic risk and improve outcomes in women.

Blood Pressure Control and Maintenance in a Prospective Cohort of Younger Veterans: Roles of Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Social Determinants of Health

Background

Proactive blood pressure (BP) management is particularly beneficial for younger Veterans, who have a greater prevalence and earlier onset of cardiovascular disease than non-Veterans. It is unknown what proportion of younger Veterans achieve and maintain BP control after hypertension onset and if BP control differs by demographics and social deprivation.

Methods

Electronic health records were merged from Veterans who enrolled in VA care 10/1/2001-9/30/2017 and met criteria for hypertension - first diagnosis or antihypertensive fill. BP control (140/90 mmHg), was estimated 1, 2, and 5 years post-hypertension documentation, and characterized by sex, race, and ethnicity. Adjusted logistic regressions assessed likelihood of BP control by these demographics and with the Social Deprivation Index (SDI).

Results

Overall, 17% patients met criteria for hypertension (n=198,367; 11% of women, median age 41). One year later, 59% of men and 65% of women achieved BP control. After adjustment, women had a 72% greater odds of BP control than men, with minimal change over 5 years. Black adults had a 22% lower odds of BP control than White adults. SDI did not significantly change these results.

Conclusions

In the largest study of hypertension in younger Veterans, 41% of men and 35% of women did not have BP control after 1 year, and BP control was consistently better for women through 5 years. Thus, the first year of hypertension management portends future, long-term BP control. As social deprivation did not affect BP control, the VA system may protect against disadvantages observed in the general U.S. population.

Stroke risk in women with atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Female sex is associated with higher rates of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) after adjustment for other CHA2DS2-VASc factors. This study aimed to describe sex differences in age and cardiovascular care to examine their relationship with stroke hazard in AF.

METHODS

Population-based cohort study using administrative datasets of people aged ≥66 years diagnosed with AF in Ontario between 2007 and 2019. Cause-specific hazard regression was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for stroke associated with female sex over a 2-year follow-up. Model 1 included CHA2DS2-VASc factors, with age modelled as 66-74 vs. ≥ 75 years. Model 2 treated age as a continuous variable and included an age-sex interaction term. Model 3 further accounted for multimorbidity and markers of cardiovascular care.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 354 254 individuals with AF (median age 78 years, 49.2% female). Females were more likely to be diagnosed in emergency departments and less likely to receive cardiologist assessments, statins, or LDL-C testing, with higher LDL-C levels among females than males. In Model 1, the adjusted HR for stroke associated with female sex was 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.21-1.32). Model 2 revealed a significant age-sex interaction, such that female sex was only associated with increased stroke hazard at age >70 years. Adjusting for markers of cardiovascular care and multimorbidity further decreased the HR, so that female sex was not associated with increased stroke hazard at age ≤80 years.

CONCLUSION

Older age and inequities in cardiovascular care may partly explain higher stroke rates in females with AF.

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a prospective cohort analysis

Large blood pressure (BP) variability contributed to subclinical brain disease thus may be implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study included 64,810 CVD-free participants who attended the first two examinations from the Kailuan study to investigate the association of BP variation, considering its magnitude, direction, and time interval prior to CVD diagnosis, with the risk of CVD in Chinese population. Magnitude and directional BP variability was calculated as absolute BP difference or BP difference value divided by mean BP over 2 sequential visits, respectively. During a median follow-up of 10.91 years, a total of 4129 cases of CVD. A large SBP variability (the highest vs the lowest tertile) was associated with a higher risk of CVD (adjusted HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.22-1.41). The associations were stronger with longer time intervals, the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for CVD was 1.30 (95% CI, 1.20-1.39) at 1 years, 1.32 (1.18-1.40) at 3 years, and 1.34 (1.20-1.45) at 5 years. For directional SBP variability, rise in SBP was associated with an increased risk of CVD (HR, 6.17; 95% CI, 5.65-6.75), while fall in SBP was associated with a decreased risk of CVD (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.46-0.59). Subgroup analysis showed the significant associations were only observed in men (Pint = 0.0010). Similar patterns were observed for DBP variability and CVD subtypes. The results indicated that a large SBP variation in rise direction was associated with an increased risk of incident CVD, especially in men.

Haemoglobin levels as a predictor for the occurrence of future cardiovascular events in adults-Sex-dependent results from the EPIC trial

BACKGROUND

The impact of hemoglobin levels on the occurrence of future health events remains equivocal. Due to its integral role in human hemostasis, both, high and low hemoglobin levels may play a significant role in the development of future cardiovascular (CV) events in otherwise healthy adults.

METHODS

Data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-InterAct cohort was analyzed. In 13.648 individuals, physical activity, body mass index, family history of cardiovascular events, kidney function, smoking status, blood pressure and LDL levels were modelled to concomitant hemoglobin levels and correlated to the occurrence of clinically-overt cardiovascular events and death over a 21-year period. (Sex specific) cox regression analysis were used to develop hazard ratios (HRs) for CV events and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Anemia (hemoglobin (HGB) levels < 13.0 g/dl in men and < 12.0 g/dl in non-pregnant women) were associated with an increased all-cause mortality in men but not in women (HR anemia in men 1.4 (1.2; 1.6)) p=<0.0001).This was particularly visible with increasing age. Various sex specific Cox regression models, accounting for several CV risk factors confirmed these results. The incidence of future CV events and myocardial infarction was significantly influenced by underlying HGB levels in men with increasing age but not in women.

CONCLUSION

The influence of HGB levels on future cardiovascular events is sex-dependent. In men, presenting with anemia at baseline, the overall survival probability was impaired with increasing age. After adjusting for several CV risk factors, abnormal hemoglobin levels could be identified as a risk factor for the development of clinically-apparent future CV events in men. None of these effects were observed in women.

Sex and gender differences in the treatment of arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Arterial hypertension represents the leading modifiable risk factor for all-cause death and early development of cardiovascular disease in women. Current clinical guidelines for the treatment of hypertension noted that women respond to antihypertensive drugs similarly to men and, therefore, treatment recommendations remain the same for both sexes. However, clinical evidence suggests the existence of sex- and gender-related differences (SGRD) in the prevalence, pathophysiology, pharmacodynamics (efficacy and safety) and pharmacokinetics of antihypertensive drugs.

AREAS COVERED

This review summarizes SGRD in the prevalence of hypertension, hypertension-mediated organ damage and blood pressure control, prescription patterns, and pharmacokinetics/ pharmacodynamics and doses of antihypertensive drugs.

EXPERT OPINION

There is limited information on SGRD in antihypertensive drug efficacy because of the underrepresentation of women in randomized clinical trials and, more important, because few trials reported results stratified by sex or performed sex-specific analyses. However, there are SGRD in hypertension-mediated organ damage, drug pharmacokinetics and, particularly, in drug safety. Prospective trials specifically designed to better understand the basis for SGRD in the pathophysiology of hypertension and in the efficacy and safety of antihypertensive drugs are needed to achieve a more personalized treatment of hypertension and hypertension-mediated organ damage in women.

Sex Differences in the Prevalence, Outcomes and Management of Hypertension

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review recent data on sex differences in the prevalence, outcomes and management of hypertension.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although hypertension is overall more common in males, females experience a much sharper incline in blood pressure from the third decade of life and consequently the prevalence of hypertension accelerates comparatively with age. Mechanisms responsible for these blood pressure trajectories may include the sustained vascular influence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, interactions between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and sex hormones or even psychosocial gendered factors such as socioeconomic deprivation. Moreover, the impact of hypertension is not uniform and females are at higher risk of developing a multitude of adverse cardiovascular outcomes at lower blood pressure thresholds. Blood pressure is a sexually dimorphic trait and although significant differences exist in the prevalence, pathophysiology and outcomes of hypertension in males and females, limited data exist to support sex-specific blood pressure targets.