The Role of Sex Hormones in Heart Disease
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What role do sex hormones play in protecting from or promoting heart disease? Dr. Banka has addressed this question using mouse models of arterial heart disease, menopause and perimenopause with some surprising answers.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. Controversy has surrounded the role of sex hormones in CVD for many decades. This has been especially true when considering the use of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women.
Dr. Banka will discuss her use of mouse models in determining the influence of estrogens and androgens (testosterone, for example) on arterial plaque formation (atherosclerosis), the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Comparing intact mice with those in which the gonads have been surgically removed, she was able to compare sex steroid-mediated changes in females, males and “menopausal” females in the absence of other variables. Using a specific chemical treatment, she and her colleagues developed the first “peri-menopause” mouse model to assess the role of sex steroids in that phase of a female’s lifespan. Finally, results from these basic science studies will be related to our current understanding of the role of sex hormones in CVD in women.
This event is part of the SPARK center seminar series. Organized in collaboration with innovationcenter@adelphi.edu and Swirbul Library.
For any questions please contact Dr. Justyna Widera-Kalinowska at 516.877.4135, or the SPARK center at spark@adelphi.edu.