Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2007) 14 OC6.4

ECE2007 Oral Communications Cardiovascular endocrinology (7 abstracts)

Carotid IMT and stiffness, aortic stiffness and pulse pressure: association with hormone therapy in postmenopausal women: baseline findings from the CASHMERE trial

T Simon 1 , P Boutouyrie 2 , S Christin-Maitre 1 , A Gompel 3 , R Joanides 4 , A Kearny-Schwartz 5 , Ch Kuntz 6 , S Laurent 2 , B Pannier 7 , B Pornel 8 , HH Struijker-Boudier 9 , Ch Thuilliez 4 , L Van Bortel 10 , F Zannad 5 , I Pithois-Merli 11 & P Jaillon 1


1Saint Antoine-UPMC ParisVI university-Hospital, Paris, France; 2HEGP-Paris V-University Hospital, Paris, France; 3Hotel Dieu-Paris V-University Hospital, Paris, France; 4CHU Rouen, Rouen, France; 5CHU Nancy, Nancy, France; 6CHU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; 7Service de Cardiologie, Fleury-Mérogis, France; 8Centre de Ménopause, Bruxelles, Belgium; 9Cardiovascular Department, Maastricht, Netherlands; 10Cardiovascular Department, Ghent, Belgium; 11Pfizer, Paris, France.


Common carotid artery intima media thickness (CCA-IMT), aortic stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity-PWV) and central pulse pressure (PP) are early markers of atherosclerosis. The influence of hormonal replacement treatment (HRT) on arterial parameters in menopausal women remains to be investigated.

We used baseline data of 665 menopausal women with hypercholesterolemia, screened for the CASHMERE study, a 12-month double-blind randomized trial comparing the effects of atorvastatin (80 mg/day) versus placebo, ±HRT, on the progression of CCA-IMT. CCA-IMT, PP, PWV were measured by using a high-definition echotracking device (Esaot®), aplanation tonometry (Sphygmocor®), and Complior® respectively. Mean age was 58±6 years with a mean duration of menopause (M) of 8±7 years. Age at M was 50±5 years. Among them, 17% were smokers, 23% had hypertension and 28% were HRTusers.

R2: % of explained variance, β coef: slope of the multivariate correlation.
CCA-IMT (μm)Central PP (mmHg)PWV (m/s)
Independent determinantsβ coef.R2 incrementPβ coef.R2 incrementPβ coef.R2 incrementP
Age at M (5 yrs)252.9<0.0013.04.0<0.0010.44.7<0.001
M duration (5 yrs)254.8<0.0013.57.2<0.0010.612.4<0.001
Current use of HT (yes)−372.30.002−2.70.90.003−0.30.90.01
Mean BP (10 mmHg) 7.032.4<0.0010.48.8<0.001
Central PP (10 mmHg)91.30.004
Total R2 13.2 48.3 24.0

Conclusions: Duration and age at menopause were associated with thickening and stiffening of large arteries. Current users of HRT had significantly thinner and more distensible arteries than non users.

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