Acute haemodynamic effects of oestrogen administration in male patients with chronic heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Although there are many studies concerning the effects of long-term oestrogen administration on systemic haemodynamics in postmenopausal women, the effects of oestrogen in patients with chronic heart failure are not defined.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to evaluate the acute haemodynamic effects of oestrogen in male patients with chronic heart failure.


RESULTS
We studied 15 men with advanced heart failure (NYHA II-IV, EF < 35%). A Swan-Ganz thermodilution catheter was advanced in their pulmonary artery and central haemodynamics were assessed at baseline, after placebo administration, and following 0.625 and 1.25 mg of oestrogen infusion. Simultaneously, all patients underwent limb plethysmography. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare the sequential measurements. Following oestrogen administration, right atrial, pulmonary artery and pulmonary capillary wedge pressures, as well as systemic, pulmonary and forearm vascular resistance were decreased; cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume, stroke volume index, stroke work index and forearm blood flow were increased.


CONCLUSIONS
In male patients with chronic heart failure, acute oestrogen administration improves the indices of cardiac systolic performance and decreases pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance. These findings imply a beneficial effect of oestrogen in selected patients with chronic heart failure.
Adamopoulos
Stamatis
S
Second Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre, 356 Syngrou Avenue, 176 74 Athens, Greece.
Leftheriotis
Dionyssios
D
Sbarouni
Eftihia
E
Karavolias
George
G
Kremastinos
Dimitrios Th
DT
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002302:Cardiac Output; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography; D011336:Probability; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)