Volume 3 Issue 10, October 2006

Cardiovascular disease kills more women each year than any other condition, yet women's cardiovascular risks continue to be underestimated. Women tend to be diagnosed later in the course of their disease and receive less-intense therapy than men. In this Viewpoint, Sharonne Hayes discusses the causes of disparities in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outcome between men and women with cardiovascular disease and emphasizes that educating the medical community, and women themselves, is crucial to reducing the sex bias and optimizing care.

Although apolipoprotein A-I has benefits in relation to atherosclerosis, this large protein can only be administered intravenously and is difficult and expensive to manufacture. Smaller peptides that mimic apolipoprotein A-I and yield the same beneficial effects have, therefore, been sought. The advances being made in this therapeutic area are described.

Malignant cardiac tumors have a dismal prognosis left untreated but pose a therapeutic challenge to oncologists and cardiac surgeons. Extensive resection can be required and the positions of the tumors create technical difficulties. Primary malignant tumors can also represent aggressive disease. The clinical manifestations and therapeutic options are discussed in this Review.

Use of MRI to track cell migration to target tissue, such as after stem cell transplantation in heart failure, offers a potential new way to monitor treatment. Most data come from preclinical studies but suggest a role for this technique in humans. This Review discusses the suitability of various contrast agents and labelling methods.

After becoming established as a therapy for various anemic states, wider uses—including cardiovascular therapy—are being explored for erythropoietin. The possible mechanisms for actions in the cardiovascular and renal systems are explored in this Review, showing that the therapeutic benefits of this cytokine seem much broader than initially anticipated.