Withdrawal of estrogen-containing hormonal therapy for 4 weeks significantly decreased systemic arterial compliance from 0.47 to 0.40 arbitrary units in postmenopausal women (P<0.05).
Cohort (n=34)
Does withdrawal of hormonal therapy decrease arterial compliance in postmenopausal women?
Withdrawal of estrogen-containing hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women leads to a short-term, reversible decrease in systemic arterial compliance.
p-value: p=<0.05
BACKGROUND: We demonstrated in a previous cross-sectional study that arterial compliance is elevated in postmenopausal women taking estrogen-containing hormonal therapy, which may partially account for the reduction in cardiovascular risk observed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of withdrawal and recommencement of hormonal therapy, each for 4 weeks, on arterial compliance. METHODS: Seventeen postmenopausal women aged 56 +/- 4 years (mean +/- SD) taking long-term hormonal therapy (+HT group) were studied at baseline, 4 weeks after withdrawal of hormonal therapy and again 4 weeks after recommencement. Systemic arterial compliance (SAC), pulse wave velocity (PWV) in the aorto-femoral and femoral-dorsalis pedis regions, and hemodynamic variables were measured at baseline, and at the end of each study intervention. As a time-control, seventeen postmenopausal women (aged 63 +/- 7 years) not taking hormonal therapy (-HT group) were also investigated. RESULTS: SAC significantly decreased from 0.47 +/- 0.06 to 0.40 +/- 0.05 arbitrary compliance units (mean +/- SEM; P < 0.05) after 4 weeks withdrawal from hormonal therapy. PWV in the femoral-dorsalis pedis region was elevated significantly by the withdrawal of hormonal therapy (8.4 +/- 0.4 to 9.4 +/- 0.5 m/s; P < 0.05), but PWV in the aortofemoral region did not change. After therapy had been recommenced for 4 weeks, SAC and PWV in the femoral-dorsalis pedis region were restored to baseline values. The -HT group showed no difference in SAC or PWV, and mean arterial pressure did not change in either group throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that hormonal modulation of distal arterial vascular tone may account for short-term changes in arterial compliance associated with estrogen-containing hormonal therapy.
Waddell et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Postmenopausal status (n=34). Withdrawal and recommencement of hormonal therapy vs. Time-control (no hormonal therapy) was evaluated on Systemic arterial compliance (SAC) (p=<0.05). Withdrawal of estrogen-containing hormonal therapy for 4 weeks significantly decreased systemic arterial compliance from 0.47 to 0.40 arbitrary units in postmenopausal women (P<0.05).