P2536Protective effects of ultra-low-dose menopausal hormonal therapy on endothelium function in postmenopausal women
Abstract Introduction This is the first pilot study to assess the functional state of the vascular wall in postmenopausal women on the background of ultra low-dose menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). Purpose To evaluate the protective effects on endothelial function of ultra-low-dose MHT 0.5 mg of 17β-estradiol (E2) and 0.25 mg of drospirenone (DRSP) in postmenopausal women. Methods The study included 115 previously examined postmenopausal women. Group 1 (n=25) included patients who started receiving MGT with DRSP during the menopausal transition; in the 2nd group (n=31), women who started receiving MGT with DRSP in the early postmenopausal period. Women of the 1st and 2nd groups made the transition to a combination of 0.5 mg E2/0.25 mg DRSP. The control group (n=59) of women not taking MGT. The duration of therapy is 1.0 (0.9; 1.2) years. The age of women was 56.8±1.6 years, 57.1±2.8 years and 57.3±1.7 years (p>0.05). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) of the brachial artery, levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), metabolites of nitric oxide (NO), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF: Ag) in plasma were evaluated. Results In the control group EDV 8.6±5.1% of the original and 7.4±4.5% by the end of the study (p=0.08); in women of the 1st group 12.5±3.8% and 12.2±4.4; in women of the 2nd group11.1±8.5% and 10.5±0.2% (p=0.07 between women of the 1st and 2nd groups by the end of the study). The level of NO metabolites in women of the 1st group 43.4 (28.6; 45.9) at baseline and 40.7 (34.4; 41.5) μmol/l by the end of the study, in women of the 2nd group 38.8 (36.5; 44.9) and 35.2 (32.8; 38.9) μmol/l (p=0.04 between the women of the 1st and 2nd groups). In the control group 34.6 (30.4; 38.2) and 27.8 (24.5; 34.9) μmol/l (p<0.001 for women of the 1st and 2nd groups). In women of the 1st group a significant increase in ET-1 was detected from 1.02±0.26 initially to 1.18±0.24 fMol/ml by the end of the study; levels of vWF:Ag with 0.839 (0.695; 0.940) and 0.900 (0.782; 0.925) U/ml. The level of ADMA did not change significantly 0.43±0.10 and 0.45±0.10 μmol/L. In women of the 2nd group a significant increase ET-1 was detected from 1.08±0.42 to 1.29±0.59 fMol ml; vWF:Ag from 0.841 (0.718; 0.960) to 0.829 (0.811; 0.984) U/ml and ADMA from 0.43±0.10 to 0.48±0.15 μmol/l (p>0.05). In the the control group a significant increase in the level of ET-1 was observed from 1.40±0.43 to 1.74±0.34 fMol/ml by the end of the study; vWF levels:Ag 0.860 (0.743; 0.941) and 0.960 (0.850; 1.025) U/ml, ADMA 0.48±0.16 and 0.60±0.18 μmol/l (p<0.01 compared with women of the 1st and 2nd groups). Conclusions Revealed protective effects on endothelial function of ultra low-dose MHT in postmenopausal women. Early and prolonged MHT has an additional positive effect on the functional state of the vascular wall. Acknowledgement/Funding None