BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH ESTROGEN DEFICIENCY AND SYMPTOMATIC CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

Serum oestrogen deficiency is one of the main causes of osteoporosis i n postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, oestrogen deficiency i s rare. In 13 premenopausal women with symptomatic coronary heart dise ase (CHD) and significantly reduced serum oestrogen levels, bone miner al density, determined by quantitative computed tomography (QCT), was not reduced. In these women, oestrogen deficiency was probably one ris k factor for the development of CHD. The level of serum oestrogen that protects women from the development of CHD might be different from th e level that protects them from early loss of bone mineral density. Se ven of the 13 women had a history of tubal sterilisation. This might b e a possible risk factor, causing ovarial dysfunction and oestrogen de ficiency.