Sex differences in cardiovascular autonomic control : introduction to the special issue

In this special issue of Clinical Autonomic Research, we present a series of articles highlighting recent discoveries of sex differences in cardiovascular autonomic control. These manuscripts discuss: gender-specific effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in cardiovascular disease pathophysiology and treatment [4]; sex-specific differences in relationships between components of neurovascular control, such as vascular transduction, resting levels of sympathetic activity and baroreflex sensitivity [5]; neurohormonal control during different stages of pregnancy [6, 7]; race and sex-specific differences in cardiovascular autonomic regulation [8]; neurovascular control in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [9]; and sex differences in sympathetic reactivity during orthostatic stress [10] (Fig. 1).