[Structural and functional changes of blood vessels in women in early postmenopause, the possibility of correction of the revealed violations].

AIM: To evaluate severity and pattern of structural and functional changes of vascular wall in early postmenopausal women receiving chronic treatment with a low-dose combination of 17β-estradiol (E2) 1 mg and drospirenone 2 mg (DRSP). Evaluation of structural and functional arterial remodeling might be important for assessment of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 162 early postmenopausal women with postmenopausal syndrome. The women were divided into two groups. The main group consisted of 84 patients receiving the postmenopausal hormonal therapy (PMHT) with E2 1 mg / DRSP 2 mg (Angeliq, Bayer) and the control group included 78 women not receiving PMHT. The follow-up duration was 5.2 years. 24‑h blood pressure monitoring with evaluation of arterial stiffness (RWTT, AIx, ASI, AASI, (dP/dt) max) was performed. Endothelium-dependent dilation of the brachial artery was measured using the reactive hyperemia test. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and common carotid intima-media thickness (ccIMT) were measured ultrasonically.

RESULTS: At baseline, increased aPWV was observed in 15 (21.4 %) women of the main group and 19 (24.3 %) women of the control group (р=0.4). At the end of study, increased aPWV was observed in both groups but the increase was more pronounced in the control group. Increased pulse blood pressure (PBP) was observed in 27 (32.1 %) patients of the main group and 26 (33.3 %) patients of the control group (р=0.87). At the end of study, PBP decreased from 47.2±7.2 to 45.3±6.9 mm Hg (р.