title: Hormone replacement improves hemodynamic profile and left ventricular geometry in hypertensive and normotensive postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postmenopausal estrogen replacement, with or without progestins, has been related to lower cardiovascular risks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether the actions of estrogen on vascular resistance contribute to this cardioprotective effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 6-month double-blind study, pre- and post-treatment blood pressure, cardiac index, total vascular resistance index and plasma catecholamine responses during baseline and mental stressors were compared in 69 women (including 19 with mild hypertension but no history of heart disease). Women were randomized to receive either conjugated estrogens alone, estrogens plus medroxyprogesterone, or placebo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups on active hormone replacement showed similar decreases in vascular resistance and modest blood pressure reductions, which differed from the unchanged responses of those on placebo (P< 0.05) after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Hypertensive women showed greater reductions in vascular resistance than normotensives (P< 0.05) and their blood pressure reductions tended to be larger. Women receiving hormone replacement showed increased stroke volume and cardiac index at 6 months, particularly among hypertensives and those receiving medroxyprogesterone (P < 0.05). Hormone replacement was also related to decreases in plasma norepinephrine. Finally, in 33 women receiving hormone replacement, significant 5 and 3% decreases in echocardiographic measures of left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were evident at 6 months (P < 0.05), while 20 placebo-treated women showed no reliable echocardiographic improvements (P= NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that estrogen-mediated reductions in hemodynamic load on the heart may contribute to the reduced risk of cardiovascular events in relatively healthy postmenopausal women who use hormone replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7175, USA. klight@css.unc.edu
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hinderliter
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Grewen
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Steege
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sherwood
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Girdler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004452:Echocardiography; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine