SEX AND VASCULAR BIOMECHANICS: A HYPOTHESIS FOR THE MECHANISM UNDERLYING DIFFERENCES IN THE PREVALENCE OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS IN MEN AND WOMEN

The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms differs greatly between men and women across the spectrum of ages. The reason for this discrepancy is not clear and likely involves several factors including the impact of sex hormones. We hypothesize that the unique spatial localization of abdominal aortic aneurysms is dictated in part by local hemodynamic forces on the vascular wall. Specifically, we propose that oscillatory shear stress is a specific signal to the endothelium that initiates the events ultimately leading to abdominal aortic aneurysm formation. We are proposing that sex-dependent differences in oscillatory shear stress in the infra-renal aorta may explain the observed differences between men and women. Initial observations suggest that, indeed, men and women have different degrees of oscillatory blood flow in the infra-renal abdominal aorta. The challenge is to extend these observations to show a causal relationship between oscillatory flow and aneurysm formation.