Mechanism of cardiovascular disease in premenopausal women

PROJECT NARRATIVE Although women are commonly viewed as protected from cardiovascular disease until menopause, recent clinical evidence indicates that excess salt consumption and obesity abrogate the cardioprotective effects of female sex hormones. However, the mechanisms whereby salt and obesity induce vascular disorders and blood pressure elevation in premenopausal women remain poorly defined and unstudied. The proposed study will combine the use of novel genetically engineered animal models with discarded human samples, cultured endothelial cells and pharmacological approaches to investigate the potential contribution of both leptin and progesterone.