Estrogen At Onset of Menopause May Support Heart Health
Posted Jun 06 2011 8:28pm
Replacing estrogen during the earliest stages of menopause can prevent inflammation and protect cardiac functions, according to new research by a team of UC Davis Health System investigators. Published in the April 2011 issue of Endocrinology, the study, which was conducted in rats, is believed to be the first to show that the timing of estrogen replacement therapy could be an important consideration in heart health.
“Females naturally lose many cardiac protective factors as they age, but our study shows that estrogen given soon after menopause begins can help mitigate that loss,” said Anne Knowlton, principal investigator of the study and professor of medicine and pharmacology at UC Davis. “Gaining a better understanding of the specific effects of estrogen on cardiac functions at different phases of menopause could be valuable in refining approaches to heart disease prevention.”
Knowlton, whose research focuses on the molecular foundations of heart failure, acknowledges that hormone replacement therapy following menopause is controversial, given that large clinical trials on the effects of hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women showed no cardiovascular benefits. The Women’s Health Initiative, for instance, brought about dramatic changes in hormone use for postmenopausal women. But because this study was conducted on women who were, on average, 10 years past menopause, some researchers believe it may not decisively capture the potential benefits of estrogen to cardiac health.
Replacing estrogen during the earliest stages of menopause can prevent inflammation and protect cardiac functions, according to new research by a team of UC Davis Health System investigators. Published in the April 2011 issue of Endocrinology, the study, which was conducted in rats, is believed to be the first to show that the timing of estrogen replacement therapy could be an important consideration in heart health.
“Females naturally lose many cardiac protective factors as they age, but our study shows that estrogen given soon after menopause begins can help mitigate that loss,” said Anne Knowlton, principal investigator of the study and professor of medicine and pharmacology at UC Davis. “Gaining a better understanding of the specific effects of estrogen on cardiac functions at different phases of menopause could be valuable in refining approaches to heart disease prevention.”
Knowlton, whose research focuses on the molecular foundations of heart failure, acknowledges that hormone replacement therapy following menopause is controversial, given that large clinical trials on the effects of hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women showed no cardiovascular benefits. The Women’s Health Initiative, for instance, brought about dramatic changes in hormone use for postmenopausal women. But because this study was conducted on women who were, on average, 10 years past menopause, some researchers believe it may not decisively capture the potential benefits of estrogen to cardiac health.