Selective oestrogen targeting to protect the heart and blood vessels
Thursday, June 24, 2010 - 08:10
in Health & Medicine
Diseases of the blood vessels and heart, which are known as cardiovascular diseases, are the most common causes of death in the US. They include heart failure and atherosclerosis (also known as hardening of the arteries), which is a common cause of heart attack and stroke. The hormone oestrogen is thought to have cardiovascular protective effects. However, hormone therapy with oestrogen alone increases the risk of uterine cancer in women. By dissecting the different pathways by which oestrogen signals to cells in mice, a team of researchers, led by Philip Shaul, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, has now determined that it might be possible to selectively harness the cardiovascular benefits of oestrogen...