The Protective Effects of Estrogen on the Cardiovascular System

The incidence of cardiovascular disease differs significantly between men and women, in part because of differences in risk factors and hormones.1 The incidence of atherosclerotic diseases is low in premenopausal women, rises in postmenopausal women, and is reduced to premenopausal levels in postmenopausal women who receive estrogen therapy.13 Until recently, the atheroprotective effects of estrogen were attributed principally to the hormone's effects on serum lipid concentrations. However, estrogen-induced alterations in serum lipids account for only approximately one third of the observed clinical benefits of estrogen.35 Reviews of the data suggest that the direct actions of estrogen on blood . . .