title: Effects of hormone replacement therapy on left ventricular hypertrophy and growth-promoting factors in hypertensive postmenopausal women.
abstract: We investigated the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and growth-promoting factors in hypertensive postmenopausal women (PMW) with LVH. Twenty-one Japanese hypertensive PMW (age 55.3+/-0.8 years) with LVH who had never received HRT volunteered to participate in this study. Eleven subjects received a daily dose of HRT (0.625 mg conjugated equine estrogen, 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate) orally for 12 months. Ten PMW who refused HRT were enrolled as controls. Blood pressure and serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, plasma aldosterone, and insulin resistance were measured. M-mode echocardiography and blood pressure measurements were performed in all patients. Data obtained before and after 12 months of HRT were compared. No significant differences in blood pressure were observed between the two groups after 12 months of HRT. In the HRT group, the LV mass index (p<0.01), serum ACE activity (p<0.01), and plasma aldosterone (p<0.01) levels were reduced after 12 months of treatment. The changes in serum ACE activity and plasma aldosterone were not correlated with the change in LV mass index in the HRT group. No significant changes in blood pressure, LV mass index, serum ACE activity, plasma aldosterone, or insulin resistance were observed in the control group. HRT contributed to the reduction of LV mass in hypertensive PMW. However, the effect of HRT on LVH did not appear to be associated with changes in growth-promoting factors, such as blood pressure, serum ACE activity, plasma aldosterone, and insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miya
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumino
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tsugiyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumakura
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamaki
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D004452:Echocardiography; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D000450:Aldosterone; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A