title: Endogenous postmenopausal hormones and carotid atherosclerosis: a case-control study of the atherosclerosis risk in communities cohort.
abstract: Studies examining the relation between endogenous postmenopausal hormone levels and cardiovascular disease have yielded conflicting results. After excluding women with a history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use, the authors conducted a US case-control study in 1987-1992 comparing endogenous postmenopausal hormone levels in women with and without significant carotid atherosclerosis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. Atherosclerosis was assessed by using B-mode ultrasound to measure carotid artery intimal-medial thickness (IMT). Cases (n = 182) were postmenopausal women with average IMT measurements greater-than-or-equal the 95th percentile. Controls (n = 182) were frequency matched to cases on age and ARIC center and had IMT measurements < the 75th percentile. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, no association was found between the odds of atherosclerosis and increasing quartiles of estrone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, or androstenedione. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), those in the highest quartile had a significantly lower odds of atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval: 0.24, 0.97). Similarly, participants in the highest quartile of total testosterone had a lower odds of atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 0.38, 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.74). The authors found higher total testosterone and SHBG to be inversely related to carotid atherosclerosis, suggesting their potential importance in reducing atherosclerotic risk in postmenopausal women not using HRT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Suite 333, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. sahill@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Sherita Hill
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: Jingzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Crouse
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zacur
authors.forename: Moyses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szklo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017698:Postmenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione