Menopause, estrogens, and endothelial dysfunction: current concepts

Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menses. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among postmenopausal women in developed countries. The disparity between the incidence of cardiovascular disease among women in pre- and postmenopause has been ascribed to the actions of endogenous estrogen on the cardiovascular system and, particularly, on the vascular endothelium. The endothelium plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis, either through the vascular tonus and its regulation, or through coagulation and the inflammatory response. Endothelial dysfunction is implicated in the genesis of atherosclerosis and other chronic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The pharmacological use of estrogen exerts influence on the circulating levels of markers of vascular tonus, and inflammation, as well as prothrombotic, and fibrinolytic markers, but the impact of these changes on the atherosclerotic disease is still uncertain.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Maturana,Maria Augusta, Irigoyen,Maria Claudia, Spritzer,Poli Mara
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Faculdade de Medicina / USP 2007
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1807-59322007000100012
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!