title: Effects of hormone replacement therapies on fibrinogen and plasma viscosity in postmenopausal women.
abstract: In women, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality sharply increase after the onset of menopause. There is substantial evidence that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD); however, the mechanisms of this preventive effect are unclear. We investigated the association between HRT and plasma viscosity as well as fibrinogen levels in postmenopausal women of a population-based sample (n=300, age 52-65 years). A total of 94 women used HRT; of these, 50 took oestrogen monotherapy and 44 used oestrogen-progesterone combinations. HRT was associated with significantly lower fibrinogen concentrations (2.32 v 2.68 g/l, P<0.001) and decreased plasma viscosity (1.147 v 1.176 mPa/s, P=0.01). Multivariate analyses controlling simultaneously for the effects of age, smoking, body mass index, and use of diuretics confirmed decreased fibrinogen and plasma viscosity values in women using HRT. A trend towards lower plasma viscosity (1.139 v 1.160 mPa/s) and plasma fibrinogen (2.28 v 2.44 g/l) was observed in women on oestrogen-progesterone combinations as compared with oestrogen monotherapy users: however, after controlling for the above-mentioned variables these differences were not statistically significant. This study demonstrates decreased plasma viscosity in women on HRT. Improved rheology offers a mechanism by which HRT lowers the risk of CHD in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II-Cardiology, University of Ulm Medical Centre, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schunkert
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Hense
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tropitzsch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Döring
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Riegger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koenig
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000502:physiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone; D005340:Fibrinogen