title: Postmenopausal therapy reduces catalase activity and attenuates cardiovascular risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Menopause can lead to alterations in women's health, with changes in the oxidative status of postmenopausal women in whom information regarding the influence of hormone therapy (HT) on antioxidant enzyme activities is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of HT on catalase activity; concentrations of lipids and lipoprotein, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, nitrates, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and carotid thickness in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-four consecutive women were allocated to one of four groups, without HT and with HT. The latter group was subdivided into women using estrogen and those using estrogen plus progestogen therapy. Plasma biochemical parameters and common carotid intima-media thickness measurements were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HT antagonized the decrease in catalase activity after menopause, but had no effect on the levels of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, lipid peroxide, nitrate, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or on the common carotid intima-media thickness. Multivariate analysis showed that estrogen-based HT attenuated the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and the intima-media thickness of the common carotid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that HT in postmenopausal women produces beneficial antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic effects by ameliorating the plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles, increasing plasma catalase activity and attenuating the association between cardiovascular risk factors and early atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vera S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Castanho
authors.forename: Rui Tsutomu
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Aarão M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinto-Neto
authors.forename: Eliana Cotta de
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Faria
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D002374:Catalase