Long-term treatment with vaginal estradiol tablets--an impact on uterine artery blood flow.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated, using color Doppler ultrasound, possible detectable blood changes of prolonged treatment with 17-beta-estradiol tablets on uterine artery blood flow, in a cohort of low risk postmenopausal women.


METHODS
39 postmenopausal women, who were taking local estrogen therapy for at least 6 months, were examined in the study group. Forty-two women who never used hormone replacement therapy consisted a control group. They were examined with color Doppler ultrasound and the pulsatility index of the uterine artery was measured. The groups were divided into three subgroups (the age, the duration of the postmenopause, and the duration of the treatment) and the data were compared among groups and within subgroups.


RESULTS
The overall mean age of the patients was 66 years, the mean duration of the postmenopause was 15 years, the overall mean PI was 1.96 +/- 0.90, and the mean duration of taking vaginal estradiol tablets was 1.97 years for the study group; and 64 years, 13 years and 2.88 +/- 0.96 for the control group, respectively. There was a difference in the mean PI among groups. No significant differences in pulsatility index values in the subgroups were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term treatments with vaginal estradiol tablets in low risk women causes lowering of the uterine artery PI values compared to the women who are not receiving hormone replacement therapy.
Dmitrovic
Romana
R
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital "Sveti Duh", Sveti Duh 64, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. romana.dmitrovic@zg.htnet.hr
Klobucar
Ante
A
Bauman
Renato
R
Cvitkovic-Kuzmic
Andrea
A
Skalko
Davorin
D
Sonicki
Zdenko
Z
D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*
D004958:Estradiol