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Vulnerability of the female heart

Year:
2020
Duration:
54 months
Approved budget:
$593,057.00
Researchers:
Dr June-Chiew Han
,
Professor Andrew Taberner
,
Dr Kenneth Tran
,
Associate Professor Anthony Hickey
Health issue:
Cardiovascular/cerebrovascular
Proposal type:
Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship
Lay summary
The aim of the project is to answer the question: “Why is it that the female heart is more affected by cardiovascular disease than is that of the male?” The hypothesis that the female heart is more vulnerable because of the lowered ability of heart muscle to produce and to use energy efficiently, will be tested. The proposed experiments using muscle samples would allow for the assessment of whether the vulnerability resides in heart muscle per se, thereby causing the underlying process that governs heart pumping to be more affected in females. It is foreseen that completion of this project will contribute to devising strategies to improve energetic performance of the female heart.