Understanding of sex and/or gender-specific mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases: determinants, risk factors and pathways

Expected Outcome

This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”. To that end, proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed at, tailored towards and contributing to all the following expected outcomes:

• Researchers, developers of medical interventions, and healthcare professionals have a better understanding of biological sex and/or gender-specific health determinants, risk factors and pathways for cardiovascular diseases.
• Researchers, developers of medical interventions, and healthcare professionals have access and use sex and/or gender-specific or tailored risk models for better prevention, detection and diagnostic and treatment strategies.
• Healthcare systems benefit from novel sex and/or gender-specific strategies for prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment options, resulting in reduced burden of cardiovascular diseases.

Scope

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of premature deaths in the EU and account for 32% of all deaths in 2021 (over 1.7 million deaths)[1].

Biological sex and gender play a specific role both in the incidence and the prevalence of certain diseases, including CVDs. Sex and gender disparities in CVDs are influenced by biological, behavioural, and sociocultural factors, affecting symptoms, prevalence, treatment, and outcomes. Hormonal influences, genetic predispositions, and/or physiological differences contribute to variations in how CVD presents and progresses in men and women. Risk factors such as diabetes, cholesterol, smoking, and age have different impacts across genders, highlighting the need for customised treatment strategies. Unique gender-specific conditions in women, such as menopause, pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and certain autoimmune diseases, also increase the risk for CVDs[2].

Mainstreaming a gender perspective into the research, prevention and control of CVDs is thus crucial to understanding and addressing the health risks and needs of women and men of all ages[3].

Although the significant progress has been done in investigating sex and/or gender-specific pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases, more research is needed to translate basic discoveries into the development of innovative prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Proposals should address most of the following aspects:

• Contribute to further the understanding on the structural, hormonal, and/or biological distinctions between sexes/genders to improve diagnostics and therapeutics for CVDs.
• Develop sex and/or gender-specific tailored risk models in a view of better prevention, detection and diagnostic, and treatment strategies.
• Identify and/or validate novel or existing sex and/or gender-specific health determinants, risk factors and pathways for cardiovascular disease(s) through the generation, integration and validation of data derived from relevant disciplines (e.g. molecular biology, behavioural science, nutrition, clinical, social and environmental epidemiology; exposure sciences; genetics and epigenetics, etc.).
• Make use of existing health data, including registries or cohorts, and/or assess the necessity to establish new ones, as well as, where relevant, exploit the knowledge gained from population-based biobanks. In case of the generation of new data, it should be managed in line with the FAIR[4] principles, when relevant.

Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures[5] in the health domain.

The use and/or development of new technologies, including digital ones (e.g. (generative) Artificial Intelligence) that support research under this topic is encouraged.

Disease progression and overall health status at different life stages, as well as hormonal influences, genetic factors, etc. and psychosocial, socioeconomic, cultural and behavioural factors should be considered in the proposed research. Other intersecting factors such as racial or ethnic origin[6], often amplify existing inequalities in health access and outcomes. Proposals should, where relevant, consider these to design effective and inclusive interventions.

In the context of gender-specific research, this topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

The participation of start-ups, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)[7] is encouraged with the aim of strengthening their scientific and technological foundations, enhancing their innovation potential, and exploring possibilities for commercial exploitation.

All projects funded under this topic are encouraged to participate in networking and joint activities, as appropriate. Proposals should include a budget for the attendance to regular joint meetings and may consider covering the costs of any other potential joint activities without the prerequisite to detail concrete joint activities at this stage. The details of these joint activities will be defined during the grant agreement preparation phase. All projects funded under this topic are also encouraged to explore complementarities and exploit potential synergies with the projects funded under topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-10: “Sustainable and healthy diets based on health status and socio-economic risk factors of ageing population”, once information on the funded projects is available.

All projects funded under this topic are encouraged to explore potential synergies with projects to be funded under the EU4Health Work Programme 2026 related to the gender and CVDs.

Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies[8] should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system.

[1] European Union takes action for the cardiovascular health of its 440 million people - EACH: https://www.cardiovascular-alliance.eu/european-union-takes-action-for-the-cardiovascular-health-of-its-440-million-people

[2] Gender Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease and Their Management: A Review - PMC: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11148660

[3] Political declaration of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases : resolution adopted by the General Assembly: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1648984?v=pdf

[4] See definition of FAIR data in the introduction to this Work Programme part.

[5] The catalogue of European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) research infrastructures portfolio can be browsed on the ESFRI website: https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu

[6] The use of the term ‘racial or ethnic origin’ does not imply an acceptance of theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races.

[7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003H0361

[8] Please note that the definition of clinical studies (see introduction to this Work Programme part) is broad and it is recommended that you review it thoroughly before submitting your application.