Cardiovascular risk in menopausal women and prevalent related co-morbid conditions: facing the post-Women's Health Initiative era

Assessment of the 10-year risk of cardiovascular events among a group of Sub-Saharan African post-menopausal women

“…Diabetes is known to substantially increase the risk of CVD [34]. Indeed, Haffner et al [34] [36]. This study adds to the literature that marital status of the post-menopausal woman may influence her CVR.…”

Estrogens and atherosclerosis: insights from animal models and cell systems

“…The strikingly lower incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in premenopausal women than in men in the same age group, together with the dramatic increase in coronary risk after menopause is strongly suggestive of an important role of estrogen levels in the etiology of MI in women (Lerner & Kannel 1986, Pérez-López et al 2009). Studies on males with defective estrogen action add further support to the notion that these hormones exert potent atheroprotective effects.…”

Prevention of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women Receiving Transdermal Hormonal Replacement Therapy

“…In many studies, favourable effect of long -term hormonal replacement therapy on angiotensin -converting enzyme activity and bradykinin in postmenopausal women was found [3,7,21]. The results of studies performed by many authors should be the inspiration to supplementation of transdermal HRT in the prophylaxis of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women [4,11,13,19,21,28].…”

“…Postmenopausal women have higher risks and incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to premenopausal [1,2,3]. In Women's Health Initiative (WHI) studies restricted to younger postmenopausal women show that initiation of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) closer to menopause reduced the risk of CVD [4].…”

“…Dyslipidemia is the risk factor of coronary heart disease development, whose incidence in women after 50. is still significantly lower, compared to men, but the prognosis is worse following the deficit of estrogens and the disturbances of hemostatic factors [3]. The sharp rise of coronary heart disease incidence in the postmenopausal women is the most frequent cause of deaths in this period of life [14].…”