Estrogen treatment improves arterial distensibility, fibrinolysis, and metabolic profile in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract The effects of isolated estrogen therapy on the hemostatic system and arterial distensibility were determined in postmenopausal females with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This was a prospective nonrandomized study of 19 subjects (age, 56.2 ± 4.7 years; body mass index, 27.8 ± 2.4 kg/m 2 [mean ± SD]). Inclusion was done after 2 months of glycemic and blood pressure control. The study consisted of 4 months of placebo treatment immediately followed by an equal period of oral conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625 mg/d. Measures included anthropometrics, a metabolic profile (oral glucose tolerance test and fasting glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol and fractions, and triglyceride levels), and coagulation and fibrinolytic factors at the end of the placebo period and after 4 months of oral CEE. Conjugated equine estrogen therapy decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (placebo × CEE: 16.33 ± 9.11 × 13.08 ± 8.87 UI/mL, P P P P P = .02) followed CEE therapy. Pulse wave velocity and augmentation index were performed by applanation tonometry and were obtained at the end of the placebo period (placebo), again after an intravenous load of 1.25 mg of CEE (short-term), and after 4 months of oral CEE (long-term). A significant decrease in central (carotid-femoral) pulse wave velocity was seen both after short- and long-term CEE (placebo vs short-term vs long-term: 9.36 ± 2.58 vs 8.26 ± 2.20 vs 7.98 ± 1.90 m/s, respectively [analysis of variance, P P P P P