WS04‐04Vascular impedance of uterine, inferior vesicle and ophthalmic arteries in postmenopausal women receiving hormonal replacement therapy: comparative Doppler study

Abstract

BackgroundTo investigate the effects of combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the vascular impedance of the uterine, inferior vesicle and ophtalmic artery.MethodThirty‐five postmenopausal patients were analysed in basal condition and during a HRT phase at 1, 3 and 6 months. Patients were divided in two groups: 21 patients whose last menstrual bleeding was 1–5 years ago, and 14 patients with the duration of menopause > 6 years. Color Doppler analysis of the blood flow impedance was performed at the level of the uterine, inferior vesicle and ophtalmic artery. Estradiol plasma concentrations were assayed on the day of Doppler examinations.ResultsThe analysis of the uterine and inferior vesicle artery flow velocities demonstrated significant positive correlations between resistance index (RI) and years of menopause; higher impedance values were obtained in patients with longer interval from last menstrual bleeding (P < 0.05). The impedance in patients with > 6 years duration of menopause was 0.94 ± 0.03 vs., 0.89 ± 0.04, in the group of patients with 1–5 years duration of menopause for uterine artery, and for inferior vesicle artery (0.91 ± 0.04 vs. 0.98 ± 0.02). No significant correlation between baseline RI and time since menopause was noticed (0.72 vs. 0.73, respectively, P > 0.05) at the level of ophtalmic artery. After six months of HRT plasma estradiol levels inversely correlated with RI uterine (r = −0.2556; P = 0.021), inferior vesicle (R = −0.2653; P = 0.023) and opthalmic (r = −0.2211; P = 0.017) arteries.ConclusionDoppler studies of uterine, inferior vesicle, and ophtalmic artery can provide specific and precise pathophysiological information to assess blood flow variations in correlation with combined HRT administration.