Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2005) 9 P75

BES2005 Poster Presentations Growth and development (48 abstracts)

A comparison of vascular reactivity in postmenopausal women receiving testosterone and conventional HRT versus conventional HRT

HA Lane 1 , JC Smith 1 , N Davies 2 , J Cockcroft 3 , K Morris 4 , MF Scanlon 1 & JS Davies 1


1Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK; 3Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK; 4School of Applied Sciences, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, UK.


Backround: Recent research has heightened the controversy surrounding the effects of conventional hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular risk, suggesting that use of HRT is associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Testosterone has also been associated with unfavourable cardiovascular parameters and the addition of testosterone to HRT may augment the risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women.

Aim: To elucidate any detrimental effects of testosterone therapy on vascular risk factors in postmenopausal women already receiving conventional HRT

Patients and Methods: Comparison was made between subjects receiving testosterone replacement and HRT (n=8) with those receiving conventional HRTalone (n=8). Lipid profiles, glucose, insulin, haematocrit and prothrombotic factors were measured in each subject in addition to sex hormone profiles. Arterial compliance (assessed through Augmentation Index- AIx) was analysed with pulse wave analysis (PWA) using the Sphygmocor apparatus. Inhaled salbutamol and GTN were used with PWA to assess endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatation respectively.

Results: Subjects were matched for age (median 43.5 vs median 39.5). Despite significantly higher serum testosterone levels (median 1.8 vs 4.6 nanomoles per litre, p<0.05), there were no differences in Aix or responses to salbutamol and GTN between the two groups. No differences in oestrogen levels, HDL, pro-thrombotic factors were observed between the two groups.

Conclusion: This study suggests that the addition of testosterone to conventional HRT has no detrimental effects on vascular reactivity or biochemical markers of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal females.

Volume 9

24th Joint Meeting of the British Endocrine Societies

British Endocrine Societies 

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