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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Influence of methyltestosterone postmenopausal therapy on plasma lipids, inflammatory factors, glucose metabolism and
Lenora M Camarate S M Leão1, Mônica Peres C Duarte, Dalva Margareth B Silva
1Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital Clementino Fraga Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lenora_leao@yahoo.com.br
Background:
There has been a growing interest in treating postmenopausal women with androgens. However, hyperandrogenemia in females has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Objective:
We aimed to assess the effects of androgen replacement on cardiovascular risk factors.
Design:
Thirty-seven postmenopausal women aged 42-62 years that had undergone hysterectomy were prospectively enrolled in a double-blind protocol to receive, for 12 months, percutaneous estradiol (E2) (1 mg/day) combined with either methyltestosterone (MT) (1.25 mg/day) or placebo.
Methods:
Along with treatment, we evaluated serum E2, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index, lipids, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein; glucose tolerance; insulin resistance; blood pressure; body-mass index; and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat mass as assessed by computed tomography.
Results:
A significant reduction in SHBG (P < 0.001) and increase in free testosterone index (P < 0.05; Repeated measures analysis of variance) were seen in the MT group. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lowered to a similar extent by both regimens, but high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased only in the androgen group. MT-treated women showed a modest rise in body weight and gained visceral fat mass relative to the other group (P < 0.05), but there were no significant detrimental effects on fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that the combination of low-dose oral MT and percutaneous E2, for 1 year, does not result in expressive increase of cardiovascular risk factors. This regimen can be recommended for symptomatic postmenopausal women, although it seems prudent to perform baseline and follow-up lipid profile and assessment of body composition, especially in those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
