[Menopause. Hormone substitution therapy and prevention of cardiovascular risk].
OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in over 60-year-old women. The mean age of onset is about 10 years later in women compared to men, a difference which can be explained by the end of physiological estrogen production in menopause.


METHODS
The authors treated a group of 68 menopausal patients with HRT for a period of 5 years.


RESULTS
A series of positive effects emerged from the study which were potentially capable of preventing ischemic cardiopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors reached the conclusion that--owing to its beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism, as well as on coagulation factors and arterial pressure--HRT is able to prevent cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of infarction by between 20 and 50%.
Grio
R
R
Dipartimento di Scienze Ginecologiche Ostetriche, Università degli Studi, Torino.
Cellura
A
A
Porpiglia
M
M
Geranio
R
R
Piacentino
R
R
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors