title: Surgical menopause and cardiovascular risks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the relevant literature on the effect of surgical menopause on cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early menopause (before age 50) is associated with an increased risk of CVD. Bilateral oophorectomy around the time of menopause may impart either a small influence or no effect on increasing the risk of CVD; however, bilateral oophorectomy before menopause significantly increases the risk. Some data suggest a protective effect of estrogen therapy in this setting exist. The CVD risk is principally that of coronary heart disease and not cerebrovascular disease. Mortality rates may be increased in women with early menopause, either spontaneous or surgically induced. Hysterectomy per se, without bilateral oophorectomy, does not seem to increase CVD risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. ral35@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Rogerio A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome