Sex Hormone Levels and Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Postmenopausal Women

Author:

Rexrode Kathryn M.1,Manson JoAnn E.1,Lee I-Min1,Ridker Paul M1,Sluss Patrick M.1,Cook Nancy R.1,Buring Julie E.1

Affiliation:

1. From the Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine (K.M.R., J.E.M., I.-M.L., P.M.R., N.R.C., J.E.B.), Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Department of Epidemiology (J.E.M., I.-M.L., J.E.B.), Harvard School of Public Health; Reproductive Endocrine Unit Assay Laboratory (P.M.S.), Massachusetts General Hospital; and Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (J.E.M., J.E.B.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Abstract

Background— Despite diffuse effects of sex hormones on the cardiovascular system, few prospective studies have examined the relationship of plasma androgens and estrogens with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women. Methods and Results— A nested case-control study was performed among women in the Women’s Health Study. Two hundred women who developed CVD were matched 1:1 by age, smoking, and postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) to controls who remained free of CVD. We measured testosterone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels and calculated free androgen index (FAI), free estradiol index, and the FAI/free estradiol index ratio. Results were stratified by HT use. Among HT nonusers, cases had significantly higher androgen profiles (higher median FAI and lower SHBG levels) than controls. After adjustment for age, smoking, use of aspirin, vitamin E, and alcohol, family history of myocardial infarction, and physical activity, nonusers in the lowest SHBG quartile had an OR of 2.25 (95% CI, 1.03 to 4.91) for CVD, and there were significant trends across FAI quartiles ( P for trend=0.03). Additional adjustment for body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol eliminated associations with SHBG and FAI. Among women using HT, no significant differences in hormones or SHBG were observed among women who developed CVD and controls. Conclusions— Among HT nonusers, lower SHBG and higher FAI levels were noted among postmenopausal women who developed CVD events, but this was not independent of body mass index and other cardiovascular risk factors. Estradiol levels were not associated with risk of CVD in HT users or nonusers.

Publisher

Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)

Subject

Physiology (medical),Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3