The effects of postmenopausal estrogen therapy on the incidence of arteriosclerotic vascular disease.

Recent studies show that arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease is associated with high low-density lipoprotein and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and, further, that reversal of these abnormalities can prevent cardiovascular disease. As postmenopausal estrogen therapy favorably changes low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, it is hypothesized that reductions in cardiovascular disease will be observed in postmenopausal women so treated. The majority of at least 23 studies support this view.