Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: postmenopausal estrogen supplementation: a cardiologist's perspective.
Women live nearly one third of their lives after ovarian function has ceased. The implications of menopause for both health and disease as well as the risks and benefits of hormonal replacement therapy are important considerations in the management of postmenopausal women. The author discusses the relation between menopause and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and evaluates the risks and benefits of hormonal replacement therapy from a cardiologist's perspective. During menopause, there are changes in the lipid profile that favor the development of CHD. In addition, there is convincing evidence that the risk of CHD increases with surgical menopause and that natural menopause also may signal a period of increasing risk. Data from angiographic and prospective studies suggest that a reduction in CHD risk is associated with estrogen use in postmenopausal women and that a large part of the beneficial effect of estrogen on CHD risk is through changes in the lipid profile. The benefit of hormonal replacement therapy for reduced risk of CHD, however, must be viewed in the setting of the overall risks and benefits of hormonal replacement therapy for each individual patient.
Radford
N B
NB
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Rogers Magnetic Resonance Center, Dallas 75235-9085.
D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood
D008055:Lipids