Author/Editor		Gužič-Salobir, B; Keber, I; Seljeflot, I; Arnesen, H; Vrabič, L
Title		Combined hormone replacement therapy improves endothelial function in healthy postmenopausal women
Type		članek
Source		J Intern Med
Vol. and No.		Letnik 250, št. 6
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 508-15
Language		eng
Abstract		Objectives: Large scale epidemiological studies suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reduces cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women. Improvement in endothelial function may contribute to this protective effect. Design: In a prospective, double blind study, 61 healthy postmenopausal women were randomized to receive either oral continuous combined HRT (oestradiol 2 mg and norethisterone acetate (NETA) 1 mg per day) or placebo. Endothelial function, assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery and expression of soluble endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAM) were determined before, after 3 and 6 months of therapy. Results: The FMD was significantly improved in women on combined HRT (from 5.97% to 10.94% after 3 months and to 10.58% after 6 months; both P < 0.01 versus baseline values) and did not change in the placebo group (6.92% at baseline, 5.86% after 3 and 6.26% after 6 months). After 3 months of combined HRT, significant decreases of 24.6% for E-selectin and 13.9% for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were observed (both P < 0.01 versus baseline values) and were sustained after 6 months of therapy, whilst no differences emerged in the placebo group. Conclusions: Oestradiol and norethisterone acetate improve endothelial function by both enhancing FMD and reducing the levels of soluble E-selectin and ICAM-1 in healthy postmenopausal women.
Descriptors		CELL ADHESION MOLECULES ENDOTHELIUM, VASCULAR ESTRADIOL ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY NORETHANDROLONE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE BRACHIAL ARTERY DOUBLE-BLIND METHOD MIDDLE AGE PREMENOPAUSE PROSPECTIVE STUDIES STATISTICS, NONPARAMETRIC VASODILATION