Sex hormones and heart failure risk

Authors

• Imo A. Ebong, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA. Electronic address: iaebong@ucdavis.edu.
• Duke Appiah, Department of Public Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
• Rina Mauricio, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
• Nikhil Narang, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
• Michael C. Honigberg, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• Onyedika J. Ilonze, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
• Niti R. Aggarwal, Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Markella V. Zanni, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Metabolism Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• Selma F. Mohammed, Division of Cardiology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
• Leslie Cho, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
• Erin D. Michos, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Recommended Citation

Ebong IA, Appiah D, Mauricio R, et al. Sex Hormones and Heart Failure Risk. JACC Adv. 2025;4(4):101650. doi:10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101650

Affiliations

Advocate Christ Medical Center

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Although there are inconsistencies, epidemiological studies have implicated sex hormones (SHs) in pathways that are linked to HF. The age-related decline in SH levels causes physiological changes that differentially impact HF risk in both sexes. Conversely, SHs are tightly regulated by complex feedback loops that become disrupted in chronic HF to create a vicious cycle that further worsens the HF syndrome. By altering the androgenic balance, SHs exert variable effects that could impact HF risk in men and women. Further studies are needed to clarify whether measurement of SH levels can identify future HF patients for early intervention, as well as HF patients who may benefit from more intensive treatments.

Type

Article

PubMed ID

40088731