Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Modification of the lipidic and coagulative pattern in postmenopause women: effect of hormone replacement therapy
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Paolo Giaccone, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Aim:
We evaluated the changes of lipidic and coagulative pattern during menopause and the influence of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on these parameters.
Methods:
We considered 158 patients divided into 2 groups: Group I consisted of 127 women in physiological/surgical menopause and Group II of 31 women with childbearing potential. Subsequently, we considered a group III formed of 34 patients from menopausal women (group I) who underwent three months of HRT. We evaluated total-cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), lipoprotein (a) (Lpa), fibrinogen, antithrombin III (ATIII), factor VII (FVII) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI).
Results:
We found a worse lipid profile in the post-menopausal group compared to controls (TC 243.8+/-29.7 vs 217.9+/-32.7 mg%, P=0.002; TG 121.5+/-68.4 vs 88.6+/-53.0 mg%, P=0.039; LDL-C 163.0+/-27.9 vs 136.2+/-29.6 mg%, P=0.004; HDL-C 60.9+/-14.9 vs 64.1+/-14.6 mg%, P=ns). With regard to the coagulative pattern, fibrinogen was significantly higher in the post-menopausal group (fibrinogen: 273.3+/-67.4 vs 243.8+/-39.5 mg%, P=0.013; ATIII 112.2+/-11.7 vs 117.5+/-12.7% %, P=0.059; FVII 121.6+/-11.3 vs 117.6+/-10.8 mg%, P=ns; TFPI activity 2.5+/-2.3 vs 2.1+/-1.1 U/mL, P=ns; TFPI antigen 120+/-38 vs 127+/-39 U/mL, P=ns). Comparing the same parameters, before and after three months of HRT, in patients of Group III we observed a significant improvement of TC and TG levels (TC from 232.3+/-42.7 to 215.2+/-37.6 mg%, P=0.0001; TG from 103.7+/-56.8 to 95.0+/-44.3 mg%, P=0.059; HDL-C from 62.3+/-12.9 to 63.6+/-12.6 mg%, P=ns; LDL-C from 149.3+/-38.7 to 132.6+/-34.5 mg%, P=0.0001). The following changes were observed with regard to coagulative parameters: fibrinogen from 270.9+/-69.4 to 253.2+/-56.2 mg%, P=0.07; ATIII from 113.5+/-11.4 to 110.8+/-13.2 mg%, P=0.198; FVII from 108.6+/-18.0 to 104.4+/-17.5 mg%, 0.014. TFPI activity from 2.6+/-2.3 to 2.3+/-1.4 U/ml, P=ns; TFPI antigen from 68+/-13 to 87+/-22 U/mL, P=0.001.
Conclusion:
Our data confirm the presence of an alteration in lipidic and coagulative pattern in post menopausal women and positive changes after HRT.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Menopause
01:22Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
01:24Disorders of the Female Reproductive System
01:30Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:40Bone Remodeling