Early impact of hormone replacement therapy on vascular hemodynamics detected via ocular colour Doppler analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on ocular blood flow.


METHODS
In a prospective controlled study, 40 healthy women who presented to the menopause clinic between December 2000 and December 2001 were randomly assigned into the study. The HRT-receiving group was administered estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg the first 11 days, and estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg plus ciproterone acetate 1 mg the next 10 days of the monthly cycle for 6 months. The control group did not receive any HRT for 6 months. The ocular colour Doppler analysis were performed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The ocular Doppler analysis was performed in the first half of the cycle in the HRT-receiving group.


RESULTS
Central retinal artery and ophthalmic artery basal Doppler index (peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistive index and pulsatility index) values of the two groups at the beginning of the study did not show any statistically significant difference. Both the right and the left central retinal artery pulsatility index (PI) values of the study group, who received HRT at the end of the third and sixth months, showed a statistically significant decline (paired-samples test, P < 0.05), while the decrease in the resistive indexes was not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that 6 months of combined hormone replacement therapy with estradiol 17-valerate 2 mg plus ciproterone acetate 1 mg improves ocular vascular Doppler indices which may be a reflection of cerebral vascular status.
Atalay
Ender
E
Department of Obsterics and Gynecology, Akdeniz University Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
Karaali
Kamil
K
Akar
Munire
M
Ari
Eylem Seker
ES
Simsek
Mehmet
M
Atalay
Selda
S
Zorlu
Gurkan
G
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
D004958:Estradiol