Effects of oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy on internal carotid artery pulsatility indices in postmenopausal women. A prospective, randomized, comparative study

• Published in: Journal of reproductive medicine Vol. 46; no. 11; p. 962
• Main Authors: Sendağ, F, Terek, M C, Karadadaş, N, Bilgin, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2001
• Subjects: Administration, Cutaneous; Administration, Oral; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Carotid Artery, Internal - drug effects; Carotid Artery, Internal - physiopathology; Estradiol - administration & dosage; Estradiol - pharmacology; Estradiol - therapeutic use; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) - administration & dosage; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) - pharmacology; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate - administration & dosage; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate - pharmacology; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Norethindrone - administration & dosage; Norethindrone - analogs & derivatives; Norethindrone - pharmacology; Norethindrone - therapeutic use; Progesterone Congeners - administration & dosage; Progesterone Congeners - pharmacology; Progesterone Congeners - therapeutic use; Prospective Studies; Pulsatile Flow - drug effects; Pulsatile Flow - physiology
• ISSN: 0024-7758

To compare the effects of oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy on the internal carotid artery pulsatility index in postmenopausal women. Thirty-seven women were randomized to six months of treatment with oral (n = 19) or transdermal (n = 18) sequential combined hormone replacement therapy. The internal carotid artery pulsatility index was assessed by color Doppler ultrasound at baseline and after six months of treatment. Carotid artery pulsatility indices were significantly lower than the mean of 0.939 +/- 0.139 at 0.860 +/- 0.084 in the oral hormone replacement group and significantly lower than the mean of 0.928 +/- 0.092 at 0.891 +/- 0.046 in the transdermal hormone replacement therapy group (P = .042) after six months of treatment. The mean changes in the carotid artery pulsatility index between the oral and transdermal hormone replacement groups were nonsignificant (-0.078 +/- 0.131 and -0.037 +/- 0.067, respectively; P = .53). There was a significant negative correlation between the change in pulsatility index during treatment and baseline values in the carotid artery (r = -.81, P = .001), but no correlation was found with time since menopause and serum estradiol level. Oral and transdermal sequential hormone replacement therapy are similarly effective at six months in reducing impedance to flow in the internal carotid artery.