title: Effect of hormone therapy on exercise capacity in early postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the exercise capacity of postmenopausal women with matched premenopausal controls, as well as postmenopausal women before and after 3 months of hormone therapy (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined the response to strenuous isotonic exercise in 30 women with recently developed menopause (age, mean+/-standard deviation, 50.6+/-1.1 years) without cardiovascular risk factors or diseases. Thirty premenopausal subjects, matched one-to-one for age and biophysical characteristics, were the control group. Postmenopausal women underwent examination before (T(0)) and 3 months after (T(1)) HT (oral 0.625 mg conjugated estrogen and 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate/day) with high-resolution ultrasound determination of peripheral flow-mediated vasodilation and an integrative cardiopulmonary test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postmenopausal women showed an impairment of flow-mediated vasodilation (P<.001) in the radial artery and a worsening of physical performance, primarily exemplified by lower maximal workload (P<.01) and peak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)max, P<.001) compared with premenopausal women. After 3 months on HT, ergometabolic parameters and vasodilation reserve were at a level comparable to premenopausal women. Flow-mediated vasodilation measurements after 3 months on HT significantly correlated with those of peak oxygen consumption (r=0.77, P<.001) and the ratio between the increase in oxygen consumption and that in work rate (DeltaVo(2)/DeltaWR) (r=0.73, P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The peripheral circulation is the limiting system in postmenopausal women experiencing exercise intolerance, and there are benefits in introducing HT.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular and Neurological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy. mercuro@pacs.unica.it
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Mercuro
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Saiu
authors: Martino
authors: M
authors: Deidda
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Mercuro
authors: Cristiana
authors: C
authors: Vitale
authors: Giuseppe M C
authors: GM
authors: Rosano
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone