Study of myocardial contractility by pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging does not reveal an inotropic effect of estrogen at physiologic dose.
We studied myocardial contractility by pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging in 6 postmenopausal healthy women. According to a crossover, double-blind protocol, we randomized patients to treatment with transdermal patches of estradiol-17beta or matched placebo. Estradiol-17beta did not modify local systolic and diastolic functions. Thus, at least when acutely administered, estrogen seems to be unable to determine hemodynamic changes at the myocardial level, in opposition to what occurs in the peripheral vascular system.
Institute of Cardiology, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. mercuro@pacs.unica.it
G
G
Mercuro
S
S
Zoncu
A M
AM
Paoletti
G B
GB
Melis
A M
AM
Vacca
A
A
Cherchi
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed
D004958:Estradiol