Pauliina Tuomikoski

Evidence for a role of hot flushes in vascular function in recently postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies indicate that postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) prevents cardiovascular disease, but randomized clinical trials have not confirmed this effect. Hot flushes were more likely to be present in women starting HT in observational studies, whereas these symptoms were mild or absent among women attending randomized clinical trials. We hypothesized that vascular function may differ in women with and without vasomotor hot flushes. METHODS: One hundred forty-three recently postmenopausal women showing a broad range of variation in hot flushes were studied with radial artery tonometry. Pulse wave analyses were assessed at baseline and after nitroglycerin and salbutamol challenges. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for paired comparisons after challenges with nitroglycerin and salbutamol. RESULTS: Neither baseline arterial stiffness nor endothelial function differed between women without or with mild, moderate, or severe hot flushes. However, after nitroglycerin challenge, the time to the onset of the reflected wave (dependent on pulse wave velocity) was 9.5% longer (P=.014), and the time to the first systolic peak (dependent on the rapid phase of ventricular ejection) was 13.9% longer (P=.025) in women with severe hot flushes as compared with asymptomatic women. CONCLUSION: Women with severe vasomotor hot flushes show greater vascular responsiveness to nitroglycerin than women without hot flushes. This may partially explain the conflicting data between observational and randomized HT studies. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www. clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00668603 LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Estradiol-based postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

Objective:Data on the health benefits and risks of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) are derived mainly from the use of conjugated equine estrogens. Estradiol-based regimens may have a different risk-benefit profile. We evaluated the risk of death caused by coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or any disease among users of estradiol-based HT regimens in a nationwide study in Finland. Methods:A total of 489,105 women who used HT from 1994 to 2009 (3.3 million HT exposure years), as indicated in the nationwide reimbursement register and the national Cause of Death Register, were followed. A total of 28,734 HT users died during follow-up; among the deaths, 3,843 were caused by CHD and 2,464 were caused by stroke. Mortality risk in HT users with varying duration of exposure (⩽1 y, >1 to 3 y, >3 to 5 y, >5 to 10 y, or >10 y) was compared with that in an age-matched background population. Results:Risk of CHD death was significantly reduced by 18% to 54% in HT users and was positively related to HT exposure time. Risk of stroke death was also reduced by 18% to 39%, but this reduction was not clearly related to HT exposure time. Risk of all-cause mortality was reduced in HT users by 12% to 38%, almost in linear relationship with duration of exposure. All these risk reductions were comparable in women initiating HT before age 60 years and women initiating HT at age 60 years or older. Conclusions:In absolute terms, the risk reductions mean 19 fewer CHD deaths and 7 fewer stroke deaths per 1,000 women using any HT for at least 10 years.

Increased Cardiovascular Mortality Risk in Women Discontinuing Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy

CONTEXT Current guidelines recommend annual discontinuation of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) to evaluate whether a woman could manage without the treatment. The impact of HT on cardiovascular health has been widely studied, but it is not known how the withdrawal of HT affects cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the risk of cardiac or stroke death after the discontinuation of HT. Design, Patients, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures: Altogether 332 202 Finnish women discontinuing HT between 1994 and 2009 (data from National Reimbursement register) were followed up from the discontinuation date to death due to cardiac cause (n = 3177) or stroke (n = 1952), or to the end of 2009. The deaths, retrieved from the national Cause of Death Register, were compared with the expected number of deaths in the age-standardized background population. In a subanalysis we also compared HT stoppers with HT users. RESULTS Within the first posttreatment year, the risk of cardiac death was significantly elevated (standardized mortality ratio; 95% confidence interval 1.26; 1.16-1.37), whereas follow-up for longer than 1 year was accompanied with a reduction (0.75; 0.72-0.78). The risk of stroke death in the first posttreatment year was increased (1.63; 1.47-1.79), but follow-up for longer than 1 year was accompanied with a reduced risk (0.89; 0.85-0.94). The cardiac (2.30; 2.12-2.50) and stroke (2.52; 2.28-2.77) death risk elevations were even higher when compared with HT users. In women who discontinued HT at age younger than 60 years, but not in women aged 60 years or older, the cardiac mortality risk was elevated (1.94; 1.51-2.48). CONCLUSIONS Increased cardiovascular death risks question the safety of annual HT discontinuation practice to evaluate whether a woman could manage without HT.

Sex differences in age-related cardiovascular mortality.

Introduction Sex-related physiological differences result in different expressions of diseases for men and women. Data are contradicting regarding the increase in the female risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) at mid-life. Thus, we studied possible sex differences in age-adjusted mortality for CVD and non-vascular diseases stratifying our findings by specific age groups. Methods Over one million deaths (1 080 910) reported to the Finnish nationwide Causes of Death Register in 1986–2009 were analyzed. A total of 247 942 male deaths and 278 752 female deaths were of CVD origin, the remaining deaths were non-vascular. The annual mortality rates were calculated per 100 000 mid-year population, separately for men and women in 5-year age categories. Results The age-standardized risk of death from CVD was 80% higher for men (442/100 000) than for women (246/100 000). After age 45–54 the male CVD mortality rate elevated parallel to the non-vascular mortality, whereas in women the CVD mortality elevated considerably more rapidly than the non-vascular mortality from age 60 years onwards. Conclusions Heart disease mortality in men accelerates at a relatively young age, but in women the risk shows a steep increase at approximately 60 years of age. These data emphasize the need to identify and prevent risk factors for CVD, especially in women in their mid-life years.

Effect of Hot Flushes on Vascular Function: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the vascular responses to hormone therapy in women with and without hot flushes. METHODS: We randomly assigned 143 healthy, recently postmenopausal women (mean age 52.4±0.2 years, time since menopause 19.5±0.9 months) with intolerable hot flushes (more than seven moderate/severe episodes per day) or tolerable hot flushes (fewer than three mild episodes per day) to receive 1 mg of transdermal estradiol gel, oral estradiol (2 mg) with and without daily medroxyprogesterone acetate, or placebo for 6 months. Vascular function was assessed by pulse–wave analysis and endothelial function testing with nitroglycerin and salbutamol challenges. RESULTS: Hot flushes did not affect the changes in arterial or aortic stiffness or endothelial function in response to various forms of hormone therapy. However, in women with tolerable hot flushes, oral estrdiol caused a decrease of 13.2% (P=.028) in the time to the first systolic peak (dependent on the rapid phase of ventricular ejection) after nitroglycerin. In addition, the time to the reflected wave (dependent on pulse–wave velocity) after nitroglycerin was decreased by 8.4% (P=.018). These effects were not seen in women with intolerable hot flushes or with the other treatment regimens. CONCLUSION: Women without troublesome hot flushes are susceptible to unfavorable vascular effects after oral estrogen treatment, resulting in less compliant vasculature. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00668603. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I

Vasomotor hot flashes and heart rate variability: a placebo-controlled trial of postmenopausal hormone therapy.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to compare the responses of heart rate variability (HRV) with hormone therapy in recently postmenopausal women with and without vasomotor hot flashes. MethodsSeventy-two women with and 78 women without hot flashes were randomized to receive transdermal estradiol gel (1 g/day), oral estradiol alone (2 mg/day), oral estradiol combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 5 mg/day), or placebo for 6 months. Time- and frequency-domain measures of HRV were assessed using 24-hour electrocardiographic recordings at baseline and after hormone therapy. ResultsAt baseline, the cardiac variables were similar in women with and without hot flashes. In women with hot flashes, the mean 24-hour heart rate and nighttime heart rate showed a tendency toward reduction in estradiol-only users compared with those taking placebo and those taking estradiol combined with MPA. In women with hot flashes, oral estradiol versus transdermal estradiol reduced nighttime HRV in the time domain (triangular index, −27 ± 36 vs +8 ± 36, P = 0.042). In women without hot flashes, the use of oral estradiol with MPA reduced time-domain HRV (SD of all normal-to-normal intervals; −11 ± 13 ms, P = 0.048, and square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal-to-normal intervals; −6 ± 8 ms, P = 0.036). The women with hot flashes had more supraventricular ectopic beats when using oral estradiol with MPA than when using oral estradiol only (71 ± 128 vs 12 ± 11, P = 0.018). ConclusionsOral estrogen, especially when combined with MPA, may have adverse effects on HRV in women with and without hot flashes, whereas transdermal estradiol showed no such effects. Furthermore, women with hot flashes receiving oral estrogen combined with MPA are possibly more prone to cardiac arrhythmias than are women using estrogen only.

Health-related quality of life in women with or without hot flashes: a randomized placebo-controlled trial with hormone therapy.

ObjectiveWe assessed the impact of hot flashes and various forms of hormone therapy on health-related quality of life and sexual well-being in recently postmenopausal women. MethodsWe prospectively interviewed 150 healthy women about hot flashes and health-related quality of life (using the Women’s Health Questionnaire and the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire), menopause-related symptoms, and general health. The women were classified into those with (n = 72) and without (n = 78) hot flashes and treated for 6 months with transdermal estradiol (1 mg/d), oral estradiol (2 mg/d) with or without medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 mg/d), or placebo. ResultsAt baseline, hot flashes contributed most strongly to poor sleep (correlation coefficient r = −0.525, P < 0.0001), somatic symptoms such as muscle pains (r = −0.348, P < 0.0001), menstrual cycle–resembling complaints (r = −0.304, P < 0.0001), anxiety and fears (r = −0.283, P < 0.0001), decreased memory and concentration (r = −0.279, P = 0.001), and sexual behavior (r = −0.174, P = 0.035). The different hormone therapy regimens alleviated hot flashes equally effectively and were therefore combined into a single group for further analysis. In women with baseline flashes, hormone therapy use significantly improved the scores for sleep (0.787 [0.243] vs 0.557 [0.249], hormone therapy vs placebo, P = 0.001, at 6 mo), memory and concentration capacity (0.849 [0.228] vs 0.454 [0.301], P < 0.0001, at 6 mo), and anxiety and fears (0.942 [0.133] vs 0.826 [0.193], P = 0.005, at 6 mo). Hormone therapy use showed no significant impact on these variables in women without baseline flashes. ConclusionsHot flashes contribute differently to various variables affecting health-related quality of life shortly after menopause. Estradiol or an estradiol–medroxyprogesterone acetate combination similarly alleviates hot flashes and improves health-related quality of life in relation to elimination of hot flashes. Hormone therapy use does not confer any detectable quality-of-life benefit over placebo in women without disturbing baseline flashes.

Coronary Heart Disease Mortality and Hormone Therapy Before and After the Women's Health Initiative

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether coronary heart disease mortality in Finnish hormone therapy (HT) users differed before and after 2002 when the Womens Health Initiative study was published. METHODS: The risks of coronary heart disease death in HT users in relation to the age-matched background population were compared between the pre– (1995–2001) and post– (2002–2009) Womens Health Initiative eras. We used a nationwide register on HT (ie, estradiol with or without progestin) reimbursement and linked them to causes of death in 290,272 women aged 40 years or older. RESULTS: Exposure to HT for 1 year or less was accompanied by a 29% reduction (0.71; 0.63–0.80; three per 10,000 fewer deaths) and an exposure of 1–8 years with a 43% reduction (0.57; 0.48–0.66; three per 10,000 fewer deaths) in the risk of coronary heart disease death in the pre–Womens Health Initiative era. In the post–Womens Health Initiative era, HT use of 1 year or less was associated with an 18% reduction (0.82; 0.76–1.00; one per 10,000 fewer deaths) and an exposure of 1–8 years with a 54% reduction (0.46; 0.32–0.64; two per 10,000 fewer deaths) in coronary heart disease mortality. Discontinuation of HT was associated with an increased risk of cardiac death of 42% (1.42; 1.17–1.71; seven per 10,000 extra deaths) in the pre–Womens Health Initiative era and 31% (1.31; 0.92–1.82; two per 10,000 extra deaths) in the post–Womens Health Initiative era during the first posttreatment year. This risk increase vanished in further follow-up during both eras. CONCLUSION: Changes in HT use after the Womens Health Initiative failed to affect coronary heart disease mortality of HT users in this nationwide study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Cardiovascular autonomic responsiveness in postmenopausal women with and without hot flushes

OBJECTIVES During menopausal transition autonomic balance is known to shift towards sympathetic dominance, but the role of vasomotor hot flushes in this phenomenon is not understood. We compared cardiovascular autonomic responsiveness between women with and without hot flushes. STUDY DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES One hundred fifty recently postmenopausal healthy women with varying degree of hot flushes (none, mild, moderate, severe) underwent comprehensive cardiovascular autonomic nervous testing (controlled and deep breathing, active orthostatic test, Valsalva manoeuvre and handgrip test) assessing both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The responses of heart rate, heart rate variability and blood pressure in these tests were evaluated. RESULTS Responses in heart rate showed differences between the study groups only in the Valsalva manoeuvre where the tachycardia ratio in all symptomatic women was lower (p=0.041) than in women without hot flushes. Neither change in the heart rate variability analyses nor the blood pressure responses were affected by hot flush status. However, there was a non-significantly higher maximum systolic (140 (112-182)mmHg vs. 135 (102-208)mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (94 (72-112)mmHg vs. 90 (66-122)mmHg) following the handgrip test in women without hot flushes vs. all the symptomatic women. CONCLUSIONS Menopausal hot flushes seem to be associated with a possibly increased sympathetic preponderance without an effect on parasympathetic activity in cardiovascular autonomic responses. This may imply a potentially negative impact on cardiovascular health in women experiencing hot flushes.

Vasomotor hot flushes and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in recently post-menopausal women

Abstract Background. Menopausal hot flushes may be a marker for a difference in vascular function. We studied the associations between hot flushes of varying severity and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Methods. A total of 147 women with onset of menopause within the preceding 6–36 months reported no hot flushes (n = 23) or mild (n = 33), moderate (n = 30), or severe (n = 61). Ambulatory BP and HR were registered for 24 hours. The variables, analyzed separately for day-time and night-time, were compared among the four study groups. Results. Hot flushes failed to show any relationship to mean day- or night-time BP, nocturnal dipping of BP, or HR. However, severe night-time hot flushes were accompanied by elevations in systolic BP (4.1 ± 10.5 mmHg, P = 0.061), diastolic BP (3.1 ± 6.8 mmHg, P = 0.032), and heart rate (3.0 ± 7.2 beats/minute, P = 0.043). Conclusion. Hot flushes are not associated with ambulatory BP or heart rate in normotensive, recently post-menopausal women, although severe night-time hot flush episodes are followed by significant elevations in BP and heart rate. The latter may be of clinical significance.