Effects of short - term hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular risk factors

ABSTRACT

To determine the effect of hormone replacement therapy [HRT] on cardiac function as well as on plasma lipoprotein profile. The study was carried out on twenty healthy post menopausal women. All women received cyclic hormone replacement therapy in the form of oral estradiol valerate [2 mg/d] combined with medroxy progesterone acetate [MPA] [10 mg/d] during the last 10 days of each 21-days cycle. The treatment period was 6 months. Cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, end diastolic volume, end systolic volume, ejection fraction and left ventricular mass were measured by echocardiography before HRT and after 6 months course of HRT. Also, plasma lipoproteins were measured before and after 3 and 6 months of HRT. In the evaluation of left ventricular function, only peak atrial diastolic velocity was significantly reduced. As regard to plasma lipoprotein profile, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol were significantly progressively reduced. Atherogenic indices of total cholesterol - to high density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol and LDL - to HDL cholesterols showed a significant progressive decline. Combined HRT influenced favorably left ventricular function as well as plasma lipoprotein profile