Raloxifene, conjugated oestrogen and endothelial function in postmenopausal women
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Published on: August 13, 2019
E J J Duschek1, C D A Stehouwer, G W de Valk-de Roo
1Department of Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
To study the long-term effects of raloxifene, a potential designer oestrogen, and oestrogen monotherapy on endothelial function in healthy postmenopausal women.
Design:
A 2-year double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study in an Academic Medical Center. Fifty-six hysterectomized but otherwise healthy postmenopausal women randomly received raloxifene hydrochloride 60 mg day-1 (n = 15) or 150 mg day-1 (n = 13), conjugated equine oestrogen (CEE) 0.625 mg day-1 (n = 15), or placebo (n = 13).
Main Outcome Measures:
Endothelial function as estimated from brachial artery flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilation and nitroglycerine-induced endothelium-independent vasodilation, and plasma levels of the endothelium-derived regulatory proteins, von Willebrand factor (vWF) and endothelin (ET).
Results:
Raloxifene 60 mg did not significantly affect endothelial function. As compared with placebo, at 6 months of therapy, raloxifene 150 mg and CEE were associated with a mean increase in vWF of 25.5% point (95% CI 3.6-47.3) and 26.6% point (95% CI 6.9-46.3), respectively. At 24 months of therapy, raloxifene 150 mg was associated with a mean decrease in ET of 0.96 pg mL-1 (95% CI -1.57 to -0.36). Raloxifene nor CEE significantly affected endothelium-dependent and/or -independent vasodilation.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that long-term therapy with raloxifene or oral CEE does not affect endothelium-dependent vasodilation in healthy postmenopausal women. Raloxifene 150 mg day-1 might have both positive and negative effects on endothelium. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated.
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