How the path to menopause shapes cardiovascular disease risk

Speaker: Dr. Glen Pyle, Professor of Molecular Cardiology & Member of IMPART Network at Dalhousie Medicine

Glen Pyle is a Professor of Molecular Cardiology and an Associate Member of the IMPART Network at Dalhousie Medicine. Dr. Pyle earned his PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center followed by an American Heart Association Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Pyle lab is currently interested in the sex differences associated with heart attacks, including how menopause shapes the risk of post-heart attack mortality in women, and the development of novel therapies for heart attacks that are sex-specific.

Talk summary:

For much of their lives, females have a lower cardiovascular disease risk profile than males, but after menopause cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk rises to match or even exceed levels of age-matched males. While this risk phenomenon has been recognized for quite some time, the molecular mechanisms in the heart that contribute to the increased risk are unknown. Cardiovascular symptoms in perimenopausal females like “hot flashes” suggest that changes in the cardiovascular system are established before the onset of menopause, but the lack of suitable animal models has prevented the investigation of this important transitional phase. Using a unique mouse model in which a prolonged perimenopausal-like state precedes ovarian failure, we have investigated a number of key risk factors that evolve during perimenopause in the heart. We have also compared the post-menopausal state following a perimenopausal transition with the abrupt form of menopause brought about by surgical removal of the ovaries: a path to menopause that is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in females. Understanding the timing of cardiac changes that occur in association with menopause is critical to identifying windows of risk and opportunity for therapeutic intervention, while mechanisms of change are critical for rationale therapeutic development.

Mentorship opportunity: 

Immediately following Dr. Pyle's presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to hear more about Dr. Pyle's career. This is an excellent opportunity for trainees to ask questions and learn more about careers in women's health. 

Agenda:

9-9:45 : Speaker presentation

9:45-10:00: Question and answer period

10-10:30: Mentorship session

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