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Menopause, hormone replacement and RR and QT modulation during sleep
Paola A Lanfranchi1, Nadia Gosselin, Tomas Kara
1Centre de Recherche, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 boul. Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Que., Canada H4J 1C5. paola-lanfranchi@crhsc.umontreal.ca
Sleep Medicine
|October 4, 2005
Summary
Menopause and hormone replacement therapy do not alter sleep-related changes in electrocardiogram (ECG) intervals like RR and QT. These cardiac repolarization patterns during sleep remain consistent across menopausal stages and HRT use in women.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sleep Medicine
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Sleep significantly impacts cardiac repolarization, with distinct effects on RR interval and QT intervals (QT, QTc) in men and women.
- Pre-menopausal women exhibit more pronounced RR interval shortening and QT/QTc prolongation during REM sleep compared to men.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how menopause-induced hormonal decline affects sleep-related RR and QT interval changes.
- To evaluate the impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogen and progesterone on these sleep-related cardiac parameters in post-menopausal women.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from 14 post-menopausal women before and after 6 months of HRT.
- Comparison of 8 post-menopausal women with 8 age-matched pre-menopausal women.
- Measurement of mean RR, QT, and corrected QT (QTc) intervals during wakefulness, stage 2, and REM sleep.
Main Results:
- Both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women displayed similar sleep-related changes: shorter RR intervals during REM sleep and prolonged QT/QTc intervals during stage 2 and REM sleep compared to wakefulness.
- In post-menopausal women, HRT did not alter these sleep-related RR and QT interval dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Sleep-related alterations in RR and QT intervals in women are independent of menopausal status.
- Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progesterone does not modify these sleep-associated cardiac repolarization patterns in post-menopausal women.