The Journal of the North American Menopause Society Vol.
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in American women.
The relatively low rate of coronary heart disease in premenopausal women and the gender-related differences have stimulated speculation about the role of sex steroid hormones in the etiology of the disease. For this review, we will discuss some of the clinical and experimental data suggesting a role for platelets in coronary heart disease and the effect of sex steroids on platelet functions.