Atherosclerosis: Difference between revisions

Women and men have different risk for cardiovascular diseases throughout life. For example, at young age, men have an estimated four- to fivefold higher risk than women. However this difference diminishes and the age point of this is strongly related to the moment of menopause.  From this observation, it has been suggested that estrogen may play athero-protective roles, since the levels of estrogen declines after menopause. In premenopausal women, estrogen raises HDL levels and reduces LDL levels in blood. Estrogen can even exhibit antioxidant and antithrombotic properties and can improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.<br />

In the past, hormone replacement therapy has been suggested by several studies due to the findings of potential athero-protective roles of estrogen. However, these findings were not confirmed in the randomized primary prevention studies of Women’s Health Initiative and HERS trial of secondary prevention. These studies showed that hormone replacement therapy (estrogen-progestin replacement) may increase cardiovascular risk in women and have no cardioprotective effect. Thus hormone replacement therapy is currently not recommended for reducing cardiovascular risk, due to its possible harmfulness according to current clinical trials. <br />