The Effect of Estrogens on Atherosclerosis

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-55-1-63

The Effect of Estrogens on Atherosclerosis

A Post-mortem Study

(MC) USAF

Requests for reprints should be addressed to Thomas P. Almy, M.D., Second (Cornell) Medical Div., Bellevue Hospital,
First Ave. and Twenty-sixth St., New York 16, N. Y.

Excerpt

In the past much of the research concerning atherosclerosis has been directed toward prevention of the disease. Interest has been focused on particular groups, such as premenopausal women (1), Bantus (2), and Okinawans (3), who are relatively free of atherosclerosis presumably because of dietary habits or hormonal status.

Direct evidence of the effectiveness of estrogen has been provided by Pick, Stamler, Rodbard, and Katz (4), who were able by this means to inhibit development of coronary atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed cockerels.

Of greater clinical importance is the question of whether atheromata, once it is present, can be resolved by therapeutic measures.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge with gratitude the cooperation of Doctors Marvin Kuschner, Frank W. Foote, John T. Ellis, and Herman Steinberg, and the statistical consultation provided by Irvin D. J. Bross, Ph.D.

Summario in Interlingua

Per le utilisation del methodos de pathologia experimental e a base de studios del prevalentia de atherosclerosis in varie populationes human, il esseva trovate que varie factores affice le formation de atheroma. Tamen, le influentia de iste factores in jam establite lesiones atheromatose non es ben cognoscite. Viste le facto que le administration de estrogenos a masculos de medie etates se ha provate capace de alterar le distribution de lipidos e lipoproteinas del plasma verso le configuration trovate in normal feminas premenopausal, nos ha tentate trovar provas de un effecto de prolongate cursos de therapia estrogenic super le severitate de pre-existente atherosclerosis.

Nos ha scrutinate le protocollos de omne le casos de carcinoma del prostata examinate post morte a quatro hospitales inter le annos 1947 e 1957. Le reportate grado de atherosclerosis del arterias coronari e del aorta esseva qualificate in omne caso individual como leve, moderate, a sever. Postea le casos esseva subdividite in duo gruppos: (1) Le gruppo con tractamento, consistente de 65 casos recipiente 5 a 15 mg per die de diethylstilbestrol (o altere estrogenos in un dosage equivalente) durante 3 menses o plus, e (2) le gruppo sin tractamento, consistente de 201 casos recipiente nulle therapia estrogenic o un dosage de illo inferior al valores usate in le prime gruppo.

Tanto in le arterias coronari como etiam in le aortas, le severitate del lesiones atherosclerotic esseva plus basse (al nivello de 1% de signification) in le tractate que in le non tractate gruppo. Iste constatation non pote esser attribuite a differentias de etate, a obesitate, o al presentia associate de diabete o hypertension. Le reducite severitate de atherosclerosis es apparente solmente in le casos in que le tractamento habeva durate sex a 12 menses o plus. Orchiectomia bilateral, que habeva essite effectuate in 66 del casos, exerceva nulle effecto benefic.

Si nos suppone que le duo gruppos habeva al comenciamento del therapia nulle significative differentia in le severitate medie de lor atheroscleroses, le resultatos del studio debe indicar le reversion del establite lesiones durante le administration de estrogeno.

Article and Author Information

Received for publication November 18, 1960.
From the Second (Cornell) Medical Division and the Second (Cornell) Urological Service, Bellevue Hospital, and the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, New York, N. Y.
Aided by a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation, Inc.