Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Postmenopausal hormone therapy: lessons from observational and randomized studies.

Giuseppe M C Rosano1, Cristiana Vitale, Stefano Lello

  • 1Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, San Raffaele, TOSINVEST SANITA', Roma, Italy. giuseppe.rosano@sanraffaele.it

Endocrine
|November 16, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) effects on heart health in postmenopausal women are debated. Differences in study participant selection, particularly symptom status, may explain conflicting findings between observational and randomized trials.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Heart Failure and Cognitive Impairment: A Narrative Review.

ESC heart failure·2026
Same author

Frailty and Heart Failure: An Integrated Review of a Bidirectional Relationship.

ESC heart failure·2026
Same author

iCARDIO Alliance global implementation guidelines for the management of obesity 2025 focus on prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease.

American journal of preventive cardiology·2026
Same author

Women's heart centres: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the ESC.

European heart journal·2026
Same author

CVOT Summit Report 2025: advances along the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease continuum.

Cardiovascular diabetology·2026
Same author

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Sweden: patient adherence and persistence to quadruple pharmacotherapy prescription.

European heart journal·2026

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Endocrinology
  • Women's Health

Background:

  • The cardioprotective effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women are controversial.
  • Observational studies suggested significant risk reduction for coronary artery disease (CAD), but recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have not confirmed these findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the discrepancies between observational studies and RCTs regarding the cardioprotective effects of ERT/HRT.
  • To identify potential reasons for the divergent results, focusing on patient selection and hormone therapy rationale.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of observational studies and RCTs on ERT/HRT for cardioprotection.
  • Evaluation of patient selection criteria, hormone regimens, and biological effects in different study designs.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Methodological issues in RCTs are unlikely to explain the discrepancies.
  • A key difference lies in the study populations: observational studies included women taking hormones for menopausal symptoms, while RCTs often excluded them.
  • Symptomatic women in observational studies were generally younger and exhibited symptoms indicative of estrogen deficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Biological factors, including the time elapsed since menopause and its impact on vascular responsiveness and prothrombotic effects, likely contribute to divergent findings.
  • Combined estrogen and progestin supplementation may still play a role in managing menopausal symptoms.