Women appear to be protected from cardiovascular disease until the ons
et of menopause. Considerable evidence supports the atheroprotective e
ffects of endogenous and supplemental estrogens. The beneficial effect
s of estrogens on lipid metabolism cannot wholly explain this phenomen
on. Accumulating data suggest that estrogen may act at the cellular an
d molecular level to influence atherogenesis. The purpose of this revi
ew is to examine lipid-independent mechanisms of estrogen-mediated ath
eroprotection after cardiovascular injury. (C) 1998 by The Society of
Thoracic Surgeons.