Hormonale suppletietherapie bij vrouwen: effecten op het cardiovasculaire systeem

- Coronary heart disease develops on average 10-15 years later in women than in men and is uncommon before menopause.

- 17β-estradiol has atheroprotective properties through rapid vasodilatory effects on the endothelium by stimulating nitric monoxide production and longer-term actions by modulating changes in gene expression.

- Cardioprotective effects of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women have been suggested by observational data but not proved in randomized trials.

- Recent data indicate that oestrogens have regenerative effects on the vascular wall after acute injury, like a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

- As endothelial reactivity declines with age, more studies are needed to investigate the benefits of hormone replacement therapy in the younger category of postmenopausal women.