Arterial stiffness and hormone replacement use in healthy postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
Arterial stiffness has been shown to be positively related to cardiovascular disease risk. Little, however, is known about the influence of hormone replacement use on arterial stiffness in females.


METHODS
Arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) and carotid augmentation index (AI, applanation tonometry) were measured in 34 healthy postmenopausal women, including users (n = 18) and nonusers (n = 16) of hormone replacement.


RESULTS
There were no significant group differences in any of the physical characteristics including resting blood pressure. None of the measures of arterial stiffness differed between user and nonusers of hormone replacement.


CONCLUSIONS
The present cross-sectional study indicates that reduced arterial stiffness does not appear to be a likely mechanism contributing to the lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement.
Tanaka
H
H
Human Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Center for Physical Activity, Disease Prevention, and Aging, University of Colorado at Boulder, Denver, USA. tanakah@colorado.edu
DeSouza
C A
CA
Seals
D R
DR
D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause