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Effects of low-dose continuous combined HRT on vascular function in women with type 2 diabetes
Andrew F B Kernohan1, Angela Spiers, Naveed Sattar
1Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, 36 Church St, Glasgow, G11 6NT, UK. afbk1h@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Background:
Improvement in vascular endothelial function is widley cited as a beneficial effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at increased cardiovascular risk and have impaired endothelial function. Any benefits of HRT on endothelial function in this group are of particular interest.
Objectives:
We assessed effects on vascular function of oral 17beta oestradiol (1 mg) and norethisterone (0.5 mg) in postmenopausal women with T2DM.
Design:
Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
Assessments:
Twenty-eight women had pulse wave velocity (PWV) and adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 assessed before and after three months' treatment. Twenty-four women also had gluteal fat biopsy for assessment of resistance vessel function (using wire myography).
Results:
HRT did not affect PWV, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 or carbachol response. Effects of L-NAME and indomethacin on carbachol sensitivity were similar in both groups.
Conclusions:
This HRT preparation had no detectable effect on these measures of endothelial function in women with T2DM.
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