Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. —  yet women remain underdiagnosed and undertreated, in part because existing treatments still don't fully account for how women’s bodies function. Now, research from the University of Delaware is helping change that by identifying overlooked hormones that play a critical role in women’s heart health and vascular function. 

While estrogen has long dominated the conversation, a new study by Megan Wenner, associate professor of kinesiology and applied physiology in UD’s College of Health Sciences, points to two lesser-known players: progesterone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Her findings suggest these hormones — not estrogen — may be more influential in maintaining blood vessel function in women across a wide age range.

Supported by a $2.25 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Wenner’s research was published in the American Journal of Physiology and recently featured in The Physiologist Magazine, produced by the American Physiological Society.

“We mostly think about these hormones in terms of reproduction and pregnancy, but the receptors for these hormones are in every tissue in the body,” Wenner said. “Their primary action is in the reproductive tract, but they greatly impact many other physiological systems.”

While estrogen is the most studied hormone in research, much less is known about progesterone and FSH.

“Progesterone findings have been mixed on whether it’s beneficial or harmful and whether it negates the positive effects of estrogen,” Wenner said. “Some studies in animal models have suggested that FSH can cause a hardening of the arteries, which is intriguing. As women age and go through menopause, they’re born with all the follicles they’ll have, and they lose them over time. As estrogen production drops, FSH increases, so we need to study those effects on vasculature further.”

Wenner’s research doesn’t just push boundaries in women’s health — it’s also shaping the next generation of scientists. Among them is Shane McGinty, who recently defended his dissertation in applied physiology after working for years in Wenner’s Women's Cardiovascular Research Lab.

“Dr. Wenner is hands-on in ensuring her students develop as scientists and as people,” McGinty said. “We were interested in how the autonomic nervous system controls cardiovascular health. How that function of the nervous system changes during menopause is fascinating.”