Influence of sex and gender on the biology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: Special issue

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting millions of individuals each year. While atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) affects both men and women, sex and gender play pivotal roles in the development, presentation, and outcomes of this complex disease. Atherosclerosis is the official journal of the European Atherosclerosis Society, which very recently published a call to action [ [1] Roeters van Lennep J.E. Tokgozoglu L.S. Badimon L. Dumanski S.M. Gulati M. Hess C.N. Holven K.B. Kavousi M. Kayikcioglu M. Lutgens E. Michos E.D. Prescott E. Stock J.K. Tybjaerg-Hansen A. Wermer M.J.H. Benn M. Women, Lipids, and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: a Call to Action from the European Atherosclerosis Society. Eur Heart J, 2023https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad472 Crossref Google Scholar ] to highlight the importance of identifying and treatment of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors earlier in women. The present special issue on “Influence of sex and gender on the biology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease” expands on this topic to cover the influences of sex and gender in ASCVD in its many facets. We invited leading experts in the field to contribute review articles on the influence of sex and gender in various topics related to ASCVD ranging from molecular and cell biology to risk factors, diagnostic and treatment pathways of ASCVD. In addition, this issue includes original basic, translational, and clinical research articles reporting on the influence of sex and gender on atherosclerosis.