Hormone Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Diabetes Mellitus

Abel Thijs; Coen D. A. Stehouwer

doi:10.1055/s-2002-32044

Seminars in Vascular Medicine, Table of Contents

Semin Vasc Med 2002; 2(2): 215-220
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32044

Hormone Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Diabetes Mellitus

Abel Thijs¹ , Coen D.A. Stehouwer^1, ²

¹Department of General Internal Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and
²Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogens with or without progestagens relieves many climacteric symptoms. Although hormone replacement in theory could have beneficial effects on cardiovascular morbidity, to date no randomized controlled clinical trial has shown positive results in this regard. There are few data with respect to diabetic postmenopausal women.

There is no basis for prescription of HRT to diabetic women if the aim is to lower cardiovascular morbidity. On the other hand, there is also no reason not to prescribe HRT to diabetic women to treat climacteric symptoms.

KEYWORDS

Hormone replacement therapy - diabetes mellitus - cardiovascular risk profile - postmenopausal women

Full Text

References

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