Effects of Hormonal Replacement Therapy on the Cardiovascular System

Overview

Hormonal replacement therapy becomes frequently used in peri- and postmenopausal women. It causally affectsthe climacteric syndrome, positively stimulates psychics, improves quality of the skin, decreases dryness of mucousmembranes and frequency of recurrent inflammations of eyes and vagina. The positive influence on the bonemetabolism and therefore on the incidence of osteoporosis highly dominates among its long-term effects. Longlasting hormonal replacement reduces also the incidence of Alzheimer disease, colorectal carcinoma and it hasparticularly favourable effect on the cardiovascular system. Estrogens positive affect the lipid spectrum, however,more than 50 % of their beneficial influence comes from their direct vasodilatory effect. Estrogene replacementbecomes in many countries indicated for the primary prevention of the ischemic heart disease. The question of itsapplication for the secondary prevention remains still open.

Key words:
estrogens, progestins, arteriosclerosis, ischemic heart disease.