Effects of hormone replacement therapy on endothelial function, arterial stiffness and myocardial deformation in women with Turner syndrome
Objectives:
Turner syndrome (TS) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) affects endothelial function, arterial stiffness and myocardial deformation in women with TS.
Methods:
Twenty-five women with TS were studied in the estrogen phase of the HRT and two months after discontinuation of HRT. The following measurements were made: flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, pulse wave velocity (PWV-Complior) and central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), aortic (Ao) elastic indexes – namely Ao strain, distensibility, stiffness index and pressure strain modulus (Ep) – and left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Ten healthy female of similar age and BMI served as a control group.
Results:
Compared to controls, women with TS on HRT had higher PWV (9.1 ± 2.4 vs. 7.5 ± 0.5 m/s), cSBP (130 ± 15 vs. 121 ± 6 mmHg), cIMT (0.66 ± 0.06 vs. 0.55 ± 0.05 mm), aortic stiffness index, Ep and LA strain, and lower FMD (7.2 ± 4 vs. 10.5 ± 2.3%), Ao strain, Ao distensibility and GLS (−18.8 ± 2.7 vs. −21.9 ± 1.5%) (P 0.05 for all comparisons). The percentage decrease of cSBP was associated with the percentage decrease of PWV (r = 0.54) and reversely related with the percentage increase of FMD (r = −0.57; P
Source: Journal of Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Tags: ORIGINAL PAPERS: Prehypertension Source Type: research
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