Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Morphological, Eidological and Clinical Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Climacteric. 2009;12 Suppl 1:112-6. doi: 10.1080/13697130903010482.
Urogenital aging and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) are significant problems following menopause. Estrogen decline is one of the key factors contributing to sexual functioning because of its crucial role for genital arousal (vasocongestion and lubrication) and other domains of the sexual response. Several common medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), may interfere with women's sexual response across the aging process. FSD is one of the most common CVD-related quality-of-life complications with a major impact on patients' and their sexual partners' life. There is no evidence that FSD may represent an early indication of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women. In spite of the high prevalence, FSD remains largely under-recognized and sexual counseling is an important consideration for the proper management of postmenopausal women with CVD. Many local estrogen products are available (creams, tablets, suppositories, pessaries and rings) and are equally effective for treatment of vaginal atrophy. When a history of CVD is present, local estrogens may be safely used to treat urogenital atrophy with a significant improvement of sexual health and quality of life.
泌尿生殖系统衰老和女性性功能障碍（FSD）是绝经后女性面临的重要问题。雌激素水平下降是导致性功能障碍的关键因素之一，因为它对生殖器充血（血管扩张和润滑）和其他性反应领域至关重要。一些常见的医学疾病，包括心血管疾病（CVD），可能会在整个衰老过程中干扰女性的性反应。FSD 是与 CVD 相关的最常见的生活质量并发症之一，对患者及其性伴侣的生活产生重大影响。没有证据表明 FSD 可能代表绝经后女性心血管风险的早期迹象。尽管 FSD 患病率很高，但它仍然很大程度上未被识别，性咨询是 CVD 绝经后女性适当管理的重要考虑因素。有许多局部雌激素产品（乳膏、片剂、栓剂、阴道环等），它们在治疗阴道萎缩方面同样有效。当存在 CVD 病史时，局部雌激素可安全用于治疗泌尿生殖系统萎缩，显著改善性健康和生活质量。
