Profile photo Hester den Ruijter

Hester den Ruijter

Full Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Welcome to my page. Let me introduce myself, I am Hester den Ruijter, Professor of Cardiovascular disease in women. My aim is to translate knowledge from experimental research to the patient. In women, the diagnosis of heart disease is a problem. Most available diagnostics for heart disease have been tested in men and directly translated to women. Nowadays we are increasingly becoming aware that male-derived tests do not always detect heart disease in women. There are interesting sex differences in the pathophysiology of heart disease that may explain why diagnostic tests developed in men fail to detect heart disease in women. Therefore, my goal is to obtain novel biomarkers that facilitate the diagnosis of heart disease in women. If you have any questions regarding my research, you are welcome to contact me.

Research groups

Cardiovascular disease in women

Research aim

Our group's aim is to translate knowledge from experimental cardiovascular research to improve womens's cardiovascular health.

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Recent publications

Microvascular vasomotor dysfunction is more prevalent in female versus epicardial vasomotor dysfunction in male ANOCA patients J. Woudstra, A. C. Dimitriu-Leen, C. Crooijmans, B. Yosofi, J. G. Meeder, M. Meuwissen, A. M.J. De Vos, V. Paradies, E. G.M.Olde Bijvank, P. Winkler, N. S. Vos, K. Arkenbout, P. Woudstra, M. G. Stoel, T. P. Van de Hoef, S. C.H. Van den Oord, J. W.M.G. Widdershoven, A. Cetinyurek-Yavuz, A. H.E.M. Maas, C. E.M. Vink, K. M.J. Marques, S. A.J. Chamuleau, H. M. den Ruijter, S. E. Elias-Smale, M. A.M. Beijk, P. Damman, Y. Appelman,
International Journal of Cardiology, 2026, vol. 450
Microvascular Resistance Reserve vs Coronary Flow Reserve to Assess Age-Related Trends in Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction Timo Nijkamp, Hanae F. Namba, Coen K.M. Boerhout, Joo Myung Lee, Guus A. de Waard, Hernán Mejía-Rentería, Masahiro Hoshino, Mauro Echavarria-Pinto, Martijn Meuwissen, Hitoshi Matsuo, Maribel Madera-Cambero, Ashkan Eftekhari, Mohamed A. Effat, Rupak Banerjee, Tadashi Murai, Koen Marques, Joon Hyung Doh, Ji Hyun Jung, Chang Wook Nam, Giampaolo Niccoli, Masafumi Nakayama, Nobuhiro Tanaka, Eun Seok Shin, René van Es, Hester M. den Ruijter, Pim van der Harst, Paul Knaapen, Bon Kwon Koo, Tsunekazu Kakuta, Javier Escaned, Niels van Royen, Evald H. Christiansen, Jan J. Piek, Peter Damman, Tim P. van de Hoef
JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, 2026, vol. 19, p.437-448
Holter features to detect coronary artery spasm in ANOCA patients Diantha JM Schipaanboord, Caïa Crooijmans, Nicole S. Erler, Peter David Faasse, Tijn PJ Jansen, Timo Nijkamp, Saskia ZH Rittersma, Tim P. van de Hoef, Pim van der Harst, Aukelien C. Dimitriu-Leen, Peter Damman, Suzette E. Elias-Smale, René van Es, N. Charlotte Onland-Moret, Hester M. den Ruijter
IJC Heart and Vasculature, 2026, vol. 63, p.101884
Atherosclerotic Fibrous Plaques in Women Present ECM Remodeling Linked to TGF-β Tim R Sakkers, Eloi Mili, Hanna Winter, Daniek Kapteijn, R Noah Perry, Nicolas Barbera, Kelsey Watts, Inês R Dias, Denitsa Meteva, Marian Wesseling, Barend M Mol, Gert J de Borst, Dominique P V de Kleijn, Sander W van der Laan, Mete Civelek, Stephen J White, Lars Maegdefessel, Manuel Mayr, Gerard Pasterkamp, Michal Mokry, Ernest Diez Benavente, Hester M den Ruijter
Circulation research, 2026, vol. 138
Risk factors for saccular unruptured intracranial aneurysms Maaike J A van Eldik, Mariam Ali, Stijn Rietkerken, Jan W Schoones, Sanne A E Peters, Hester M den Ruijter, Ynte M Ruigrok
European Stroke Journal, 2026, vol. 11
Wie heb ik aan de lijn? Mathé Delissen, Anique S M Dobbe, Carmen D C A Erkelens, Loes T C M Wouters, Hester M den Ruijter, Joy S A Corsel, Alja Sluiter, Frans H Rutten, Dorien L M Zwart
Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 2025, vol. 169

Fellowships & Awards

Agnites Vrolikprijs award for research impact UU (2019)

AHA Scott Grundy Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research (2010)

External positions

Panel member - Review van aanvragen - Lundbeckfonden

Pijlervoorzitter DCVA wetenschapsbeleid - Opstarten en begeleiden verkenningen en projecten DCVA - DCVA

Commissielid - vanuit expertise - Hartstichting

Raad van toezicht - geen - Stichting LEEFH