Following menopause, women show an increased risk of heart disease to a level equal that of men. This elevated risk is thought to be due, at least partly, to changes in blood lipid and fibrinogen levels. The purpose of this article is to review the published research on the relationship between both exercise and hormone replacement with regards to common cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and the relative importance of each. Menopause is associated with increased total serum cholesterol, triglycerides and fibrinogen, and a decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. The major reason for these changes following menopause is believed to be a result of fluctuations in hormonal status, primarily a deficiency in estrogen. Intervention may be justified since estrogen replacement therapy has been shown to decrease the risk of developing CVD and to have a significant impact on many of the CVD risk factors. The results vary from study to study, but generally estrogen replacement has been found to decrease total cholesterol and fibrinogen, while increasing HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. All of these changes, other than the increase in triglycerides, are seen as positive. The addition of progestogen to estrogen may negate some of the beneficial changes of estrogen, most notably the increase in HDL cholesterol levels. However, progestogen has also been reported to offset the increase in triglycerides seen with unopposed estrogen replacement. Thus, there are contradictory effects (both positive and negative) of hormone replacement on CVD risk factors in women. Regular aerobic exercise and resulting improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness have consistently been shown as preventive of CVD. This decreased CVD risk is in part because of the impact of exercise on blood lipids and fibrinogen. Increased aerobic exercise is thought to improve the risk profile, mainly through an increase in HDL cholesterol levels and decreases in triglycerides and fibrinogen. Unfortunately, the majority of research supporting the effects of exercise on CVD risk factors has been done on men. Even when research has included women, very few studies have focused on postmenopausal women. However, the research done on postmenopausal women points to a significantly improved CVD risk factor profile with regular cardiorespiratory exercise.

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#64 Background
 Following the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen plus progestin (E+P) trial report (JAMA 2002;288:321), menopausal hormone therapy use decreased dramatically in the United States. Subsequently, breast cancer incidence also dropped substantially, suggesting possible causality (NEJM 2007;16:1680); however, the etiology remains controversial.
 Methods
 To define effects of stopping E+P on breast cancer incidence more precisely, additional analyses were conducted in the WHI randomized trial of daily conjugated equine estrogens (CEE, 0.625 mg) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 2.5 mg) versus placebo. Furthermore, temporal trends for breast cancer diagnoses in the WHI observational study cohort were examined. Breast cancer risk factors, mammography utilization and calendar time-specific breast cancer incidence were assessed relative to E+P use.
 Results: The time-specific linear hazard ratio (HR) curves examining E+P influence on breast cancer in the E+P clinical trial (CT), and in the observational study (OS, the later adjusted for E+P use during follow-up) are attached.
 
 
 
 In the CT, breast cancer incidence, initially lower in the E+P group, increased with longer duration use but decreased postintervention despite closely comparable mammogram frequency between randomization groups. In the OS, breast cancer incidence was about two-fold higher in E+P users vs non-users (likely reflecting longer duration exposure) but decreased rapidly following year-to-year reductions in E+P use, while differences in mammogram frequency between E+P users and non-users were unchanged.
 Conclusion: These findings suggest that cessation of E+P use is associated with a rapid reduction in breast cancer incidence which is not explained by mammography utilization change and support the hypothesis that the recent reduction in breast cancer incidence seen in certain age groups is predominantly related to a decrease in combined menopausal therapy use. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 64.

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