# Ceramide as a Biomarker for HFpEF in Women: Menopause, Aging, and Pregnancy

## TL;DR

This paper explores ceramide as a potential biomarker for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in women, focusing on how changes during pregnancy, menopause, and aging may contribute to the condition.

## Contribution

The paper introduces ceramide as a novel biomarker for HFpEF, particularly in women, linking it to physiological changes during key life stages.

## Key findings

- Ceramide metabolism is disrupted in HFpEF and its associated risk factors.
- Ceramide dysregulation during pregnancy, menopause, and aging may contribute to HFpEF pathologies.
- Ceramides could serve as early biomarkers for HFpEF prevention and diagnosis in women.

## Abstract

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) currently accounts for half of the heart failure (HF) cases world-wide, affecting nearly 32 million people. HFpEF has a skewed prevalence toward females and those older than 65 years old. The pathophysiology of HFpEF is suggestive of a conglomerate of inflammatory, hypertensive, as well as metabolic dysfunction, giving rise to the syndrome. Disruptions in ceramide metabolism do occur in heart failure as well as within the HFpEF-associated risk factors, both modifiable inflammation, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and non-modifiable-aging, and female sex. The focus of this review is to draw attention to the links between changes in female biophysiology, such as pregnancy, menopause and aging, in which ceramide is dysregulated and consequently gives rise to the same pathologies that are labeled as risk factors for HFpEF. Our objective is to highlight ceramides as potential biomarkers for prevention and initial diagnostic tools for HFpEF, especially for women later in life.