Endocrine Abstracts

The aim of the study: An attempt to assess relative roles of common risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) and sex hormones in the pathogenesis of CAD in young menstruating women (W).

Materials: CAD-W group: 52 W in the age of 38–48 years with angiographically proven critical changes in coronary arteries. 38 of them suffered from myocardial infarction. H-W group: 15 healthy W in the age of 35–45 years.

Methods: In all W occurrence of common risk factors of CAD was defined. Data on menstruation, fertility and physical signs of hiperandrogenism were collected. In 4–7 day of sexual cycle at 8.00 a.m. blood from cubital vein was taken to measure by immunological methods concentrations of hormones: estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), thyreotropin (TSH), progesterone (P), cortisol (Cort) and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

Results: In CAD-W, comparing to H-W, higher frequency of arterial hypertension (60% vs 7%), smoking (92% vs 47%), dyslipidaemia and occurance of hirsutism (84% vs 30%) was found. No significant differences in pattern of sex circle between W of both groups was revealed. Conc of T was significantly higher in CAD-W than in healthy ones (3.5±1.7 nmol/l- vs 2.4±1.0, P<0.02). Conc of E2, DHEAS, FSH, LH, PRL, TSH, P, Cort and SHBG were similar between CAD-W and H-W. In logistic regression analysis was proven that a cluster of 3 parameters, visceral obesity, dyslipidaemia and hirsutism, was of the best goodness of fit with occurence of CAD.

Conclusions: In women in the reproductine age hiperandrogenism may be involved in pathogenesis of CAD apart from known common risk factors as visceral obesity and unfavourable lipid profile.