title: Cardiovascular risk assessment with oxidised LDL measurement in postmenopausal women receiving intranasal estrogen replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of intranasal estrogen replacement therapy administered to postmenopausal women alone or in combination with progesterone on markers of cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted with 44 voluntary postmenopausal women. In group I (n = 15), the patients were treated with only intranasal estradiol (300 μg/day estradiol hemihydrate). In group II (n = 11), the patients received cyclic progesterone (200 mg/day micronized progesterone) for 12 days in each cycle in addition to continuous intranasal estradiol. Group III (n = 18) was the controls. Serum lipid profiles, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and other markers of cardiovascular risk were assessed at baseline and at the 3rd month of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lipid profile, LDL apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein a, homocysteine, oxidised LDL values and oxidised LDL/LDL cholesterol ratio were not observed to change after 3 months compared to baseline values within each group (p > 0.016). In comparison to changes between the groups after the treatment, only oxidised LDL levels and oxidised LDL/LDL cholesterol ratios of group II were increased compared to control group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intranasal estradiol alone did not appear to have an effect on markers of cardiovascular risk in healthy postmenopausal women. However, the addition of cyclic oral micronized progesterone to intranasal estradiol influenced the markers of cardiovascular risk negatively in comparison to non-users in healthy postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yuzuncu Yil University School of Medicine, Van, Turkey. mkurdoglu@yyu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mertihan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurdoglu
authors.forename: Mulazim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kurdoglu
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilgihan
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goktas
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000009:adverse effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D017698:Postmenopause; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol