The Penalty of Being a Male
Authors: GEORGE C. GRIFFITH
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1961)

Editorials1 July 1961The Penalty of Being a MaleGEORGE C. GRIFFITH, M.D., F.A.C.P.GEORGE C. GRIFFITH, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-55-1-166 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptAs a cardiologist, I have been especially interested in the protection against heart attacks that "femaleness" apparently confers upon women during the childbearing years. Under the age of 40, coronary atherosclerosis is from ten to 40 times as frequent in men as in women, and coronary occlusion is virtually unknown in women under 40. In young women, when estrogen production is high, the serum lipid pattern is nonatherogenic, i.e., total cholesterol is low, and cholesterol : phospholipid and beta : alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol ratios also are low.Some years ago, in a paper entitled "Oophorectomy and Cardiovascular Tissues," I reviewed the...References1. GRIFFITH GC: Oophorectomy and cardiovascular tissues. Obstet. Gynec. 7: 479, 1956. Google Scholar2. ROBINSONHIGANOCOHENSNIFFENSHERER RWNWDRCJW: Effects of estrogen therapy on hormonal functions and serum lipids in men with coronary atherosclerosis. Circulation 14: 365, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Life table values and trends of life table values, in Vital Statistic of the United States, Vol. I, prepared by the National Oflice of Vital Statistics, 1959. Google Scholar4. Mortality statistics. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1960. Google Scholar5. GLANTZSTEMBRIDGE WMVA: Coronary artery atherosclerosis as a factor in aircraft accident fatalities. J. Aviation Med. 30: 75, 1959. MedlineGoogle Scholar6. MARMORSTONLEWISBERNSTEINSOBELKUZMAALEXANDERMAGIDSONMOORE JJJJLHOROFJ: Excretion of urinary steroids by men and women with myocardial infarction. Geriatrics 12: 297, 1957. MedlineGoogle Scholar7. FURMANHOWARDIMAGAWA RHRPR: Serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in castrate and non-castrate institutionalized male subjects. Circulation 14: 490, 1956. Google Scholar8. MARMORSTONLEWISKUZMAMAGIDSONJACOBS JJOOR: Hormonal treatment in arteriosclerotic disease, in Hormones and Atherosclerosis, Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1959, pp. 449-466. CrossrefGoogle Scholar9. MARMORSTONROSENFELDMEHL JSJ: Experimental atherosclerosis in dogs, in Hormones and Atherosclerosis, Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1959, pp. 213-227. CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: GEORGE C. GRIFFITH, M.D., F.A.C.P.Affiliations: University of Southern California School of Medicine 1200 North State Street Cardiology Box 25 Los Angeles 33, Calif. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 July 1961Volume 55, Issue 1Page: 166-168KeywordsEstrogensHypercholesterolemiaLipidsMyocardial infarctionOophorectomyPhospholipidsStable coronary artery disease ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 July 1961 PDF downloadLoading ...