[How corticoids, growth hormone and oestrogens influence lipids and atherosclerosis]

The hormones with a strong influence on the lipid spectrum and the development of atherosclerosis include cortisol, growth hormone and oestrogens. Cortisol accelerates atherosclerosis both through dyslipidemia and through an increase in visceral fat, hypertension, increased insulin resistance and the development of reduced glucose tolerance which may result in diabetes mellitus. Even when a cortisol excess disappears, as is the case of patients cured of Cushing syndrome, arterial walls remain permanently vulnerable to the atherosclerotic process. In conditions involving a lack of growth hormone, dyslipidemia develops and increases the burden on the cardiovascular system if not treated in a timely manner by the substitution of growth hormone. Oestrogens have a double effect: they have an anti-atherogenic effect on artery walls that are not yet damaged by an atherosclerotic process, but where atherosclerosis has already developed they have a prothrombotic effect and destabilise the atheromatous plaques. If oestrogen is to be used as protection against the onset of atherogenesis, it is necessary to start in a period when the atherosclerotic process has not yet begun to damage the woman's arterial walls and it is best to use natural hormones (estradiol) and to prevent endometriosis it should be combined with crystalline progesterone applied locally--inravaginally. Oestrogens should be given in small doses, preferably parenterally. Even this will not prevent genetic oestrogen effects though.