OVARIAN HORMONES AND VAGINAL BLOOD-FLOW - USING LASER-DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY TO MEASURE EFFECTS IN A CLINICAL-TRIAL OF POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Objectives: To describe the use of laser Doppler velocimetry far measu rement of vaginal blood flow and report the effects of estrogen compar ed with estrogen-androgen treatment in post-menopausal women. Design: Literature review of pelvic blood flow studies and sexual function. Fi ndings from a prospective, randomized, parallel study. Setting: Normal human volunteers in an academic research environment. Interventions: Laser Doppler measurements of vaginal blood flow were compared before and after the administration of oral esterified estrogens or esterifie d estrogens plus methyltestosterone for four and eight weeks of daily drug administration. Main outcome measures: Vaginal blood flow velocit ies. Results: Laser Doppler velocimetry proved readily adaptable for m easurement of vaginal blood flow. Although esterified estrogens plus m ethyltestosterone showed greater effects on blood flow than esterified estrogens alone, the results were not statistically significant. Conc lusions: Vaginal blood flow is an objective measure of sexual function which can be determined with laser Doppler velocimetry. The vasodilat or effects of esterified estrogens and esterified estrogens with methy ltestosterone are similar.