NORMAL UTERINE ARTERIAL BLOOD-FLOW IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN ASSESSED BY TRANSVAGINAL COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY - THE EFFECT OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

We used transvaginal color Doppler sonography to study the effect of h ormone replacement on the uterine arterial blood flow of 203 postmenop ausal women. The regimens studied involved estrogen replacement alone, continuous combined estrogen and progestogen, and estrogen followed s equentially by combined estrogen-progestogen. The mean pulsatility ind ex fell to 65% +/- 9% and the mean resistive index fell to 87% +/- 4% of baseline during the first month of therapy (P < 0.0001). The additi on of a progestogen did not alter the effect of estrogen alone (P > 0. 5). Our findings suggest that the increase in vascular flow occurs eve n in women who begin therapy long after menopause.