Table 2.

Sex‐Specific Critical Knowledge Gaps

Actionable Items
Studies can be retrospectively analyzed and ongoing and future studies of cognitive function should provide sex‐specific data
Establishing whether relationships exist between coronary and cerebrovascular dysfunction to better understand links between CVD and CI/dementia
Cardiac intervention studies can be augmented to detect sex differences in detrimental effects on cognitive function
Treatment for stroke prevention such as antihypertensive medications, cholesterol‐lowering medication, and anticoagulants for AF can be assessed for their effect on sex differences in CI
Various treatments of AF can be analyzed to determine sex differences in CI
Determine whether aortic or mitral valve calcification contributes to stroke risk or a marker of increased risk and whether there are sex differences in risk of stroke
Sex differences in potential cognitive deficits with implantation of contemporary ICDs using intravenous conscious sedation and limited or no ventricular fibrillation inductions can be analyzed
Determine whether there are sex differences in interventions with therapeutic lifestyle changes to decrease cognitive impairment

AF indicates atrial fibrillation; CI, cognitive impairment; CVD, cardiovascular disease; ICD, implantable cardioverter defibrillator.