Maturana Maria Augusta, Irigoyen Maria Claudia, Spritzer Poli Mara
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital das Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2007 Feb;62(1):77-86. doi: 10.1590/s1807-59322007000100012.
Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menses. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among postmenopausal women in developed countries. The disparity between the incidence of cardiovascular disease among women in pre- and postmenopause has been ascribed to the actions of endogenous estrogen on the cardiovascular system and, particularly, on the vascular endothelium. The endothelium plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis, either through the vascular tonus and its regulation, or through coagulation and the inflammatory response. Endothelial dysfunction is implicated in the genesis of atherosclerosis and other chronic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The pharmacological use of estrogen exerts influence on the circulating levels of markers of vascular tonus, and inflammation, as well as prothrombotic, and fibrinolytic markers, but the impact of these changes on the atherosclerotic disease is still uncertain.
绝经被定义为月经永久性停止。在发达国家，心血管疾病是绝经后女性的主要死因。绝经前和绝经后女性心血管疾病发病率的差异归因于内源性雌激素对心血管系统，尤其是对血管内皮的作用。内皮通过血管张力及其调节，或通过凝血和炎症反应，在心血管稳态中发挥重要作用。内皮功能障碍与动脉粥样硬化及其他慢性疾病（如糖尿病和高血压）的发生有关。雌激素的药物应用会影响血管张力、炎症以及血栓形成和纤溶标志物的循环水平，但这些变化对动脉粥样硬化疾病的影响仍不确定。
