title: Evaluation of hormone replacement therapy which may have an adrenomedullin-mediated protective effect on cardiovascular disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine whether there is an adrenomedullin (AM)-mediated protective effect of postmenopausal estrogen/progestin therapy (HRT) against cardiovascular disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 post-menopausal women without hysterectomy undergoing postmenopausal symptoms (aged 43-52) were treated with conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/die) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/die) for six months. The flow velocity of the right middle cerebral artery [measured as resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI)], plasma levels of adrenomedullin and endothelin- 1 (ET-1), mean baseline ratio of AM to ET-1, and lipid profiles were assessed before and after HRT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant difference was found for triglycerides, total cholesterol, AM/ET-1 ratio and right middle cerebral artery PI (p<0.05), without any significant differences in HDL, LDL, AM, ET-1, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, a right middle cerebral artery RI (p>0.05) between pre- and post- HRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adrenomedullin may be added to other vasoactive peptides as a new potential candidate for HRT-mediated vascular protection. The ratio of AM/ET-1 vs AM or ET-1 alone may be a useful biological marker of this protection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey. merbay@ttnet.net.tr
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: M Yasemin
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Karadeniz Bilgili
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Caglayan
authors.forename: Mustafa N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ilhan
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D008055:Lipids; D053607:Adrenomedullin