Sex Differences and Cardioprotective Effects of B-Vitamins

What is the main driver of sex differences in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)? In our latest episode, Associate Editor Dr. Petra Kleinbongard (University of Duisburg-Essen) interviews lead author Dr. Matthieu Ruiz (Montreal Heart Institute) and expert Dr. Catherine Mounier (Université du Québec à Montréal) about the new study by David et al. that explores sex-specific effects of B-vitamin supplementation on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in mice subjected to pressure overload. The research by Ruiz and co-authors found that B-vitamins improved survival rates, cardiac function, and reduced fibrosis in female mice. However, male mice exhibited persistent inflammation, fibrosis, and unfavorable lipidome remodeling despite the B-vitamin supplementation. The findings underscore the sex-specific benefits of B-vitamins in heart failure, and confirm the importance of animal models of human disease for clinical translation. Listen now and learn more.

Chloé David, Sonia Deschênes, Gabriel Ichkhan, Caroline Daneault, Isabelle Robillard Frayne, Bertrand Bouchard, Anik Forest, Yan Fen Shi, Marie-Ève Higgins, Martin G. Sirois, Jean-Claude Tardif, Mathias Mericskay, Jérôme Piquereau, and Matthieu Ruiz Sex-Specific Modulation of Cardiac Fibrosis and Lipid Metabolism by B-Vitamins in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction in Mice Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published June 12, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00841.2024