Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women

A Special Issue of Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (ISSN 2308-3425) belonging to the section "Epidemiology, Lifestyle, and Cardiovascular Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1330

Editors


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Guest Editor
Cardiology Division, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi, Catania, Italy
Interests: arrhythmias; syncope; hypertension; gender cardiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor Assistant
Cardiology Division, Garibaldi Nesima Hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi, Catania, Italy
Interests: GEA: clinical and preventive cardiology; cardiometabolic pathology; cardiovascular disease in women and gender cardiology; coronary artery disease; Kounis syndrome; echocardiography; diabetes; obesity; the application of artificial intelligence in cardiovascular care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide, yet risk assessment, prevention strategies and therapeutic approaches are still frequently derived from evidence generated predominantly in male populations. Women exhibit distinct patterns of cardiovascular risk across the life course, influenced by sex-specific biology, hormonal signals, and gender-related determinants of health. Traditional risk factors may present differently, have different weights, or be under-recognized in women, while female-specific conditions add complexity to individualized risk stratification.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated, clinically oriented overview of cardiovascular risk factors in women, spanning epidemiology, pathophysiology, early identification, prevention, and management. We welcome original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews addressing both established and emerging risk factors, as well as innovative models of care tailored to women’s cardiovascular health.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following.

  • Sex- and gender-specific epidemiology and mechanisms of cardiovascular risk.
  • Female-specific risk enhancers: pregnancy-related disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes, postpartum risk trajectories.
  • Hormonal transitions and reproductive factors: menarche/menopause timing, premature ovarian insufficiency, menopause therapies, contraception and cardiovascular risk.
  • Traditional risk factors with sex-specific features: hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, psychosocial stress, sleep disorders.
  • Emerging risk factors and biomarkers: lipoprotein(a), inflammation, thrombophilia, microvascular dysfunction, cardiometabolic and endocrine contributors.
  • Ethnic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial determinants; disparities in access to care and outcomes.
  • Risk prediction tools, imaging, and advanced phenotyping for female cardiovascular prevention.
  • Prevention and treatment strategies across the lifespan, including cardio-obstetrics and integrated women’s heart clinics.
  • Implementation science, digital health, and AI approaches to improve detection and prevention in women.

Dr. Giuseppina Maura Francese
Guest Editor

Dr. Lucio Giuseppe Granata
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • women’s cardiovascular health
  • sex- and gender-specific risk
  • coronary artery disease in women
  • pregnancy-associated cardiovascular risk
  • peripartum cardiomyopathy
  • menopause and cardiovascular risk
  • psychosocial stress and depression
  • autoimmune disease in women
  • cardiometabolic risk

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

28 pages, 2705 KB  
Review
Anxiety and Depression in Women’s Cardiovascular Health: Risk Modifiers, Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
by Lucio Giuseppe Granata, Simona Giubilato, Clea Giuffrida, Daniela Pavan, Marco Mojoli, Nadia Aspromonte, Isabella Fumarulo, Marcello Marchetta, Adriana Sbrigata, Calogera Pisano and Giuseppina Maura Francese
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2026, 13(7), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd13070301 - 1 Jul 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 869
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet prevention and management have historically relied on male-centered models. Sex and gender critically influence risk, clinical presentation, and outcomes. Depression, anxiety, and psychosocial stress, more prevalent in women, act as key amplifiers [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet prevention and management have historically relied on male-centered models. Sex and gender critically influence risk, clinical presentation, and outcomes. Depression, anxiety, and psychosocial stress, more prevalent in women, act as key amplifiers of cardiovascular risk. We conducted a clinically oriented narrative review based on a broad, non-systematic search of major databases, integrating evidence selected for relevance and methodological robustness to clarify biological and psychosocial mechanisms linking mental health and cardiovascular disease in women. Affective disorders and stress contribute to cardiovascular risk through interconnected pathways, including hormonal fluctuations, autonomic and neuroendocrine dysregulation, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and heightened platelet reactivity. These mechanisms interact with gender-related exposures such as caregiving burden, occupational stress, and interpersonal violence. Stress-related phenotypes, including mental stress, induced ischemia and takotsubo syndrome, exemplify the heart-brain axis and its clinical implications. Incorporating mental health into cardiovascular risk assessment is essential for precision prevention in women. A women-centered approach should include systematic psychosocial evaluation, multidisciplinary care, and tailored strategies to improve risk control, adherence, and outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women)
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