Resting ECG is modified after oophorectomy and regresses with estrogen replacement therapy in premenopausal women

Objective: To assess the effects of bilateral oophorectomy on the resting E CG and whether they regress with estrogen replacement therapy. Study design : Twenty-six premenopausal and 15 postmenopausal women were enrolled in th e present study. All women had undergone hysterectomy and bilateral ovariec tomy. All women underwent 12-lead ECG on admission to hospital. A second EC G was recorded 20-25 days after surgery. After this second EGG. premenopaus al women were randomly divided into two groups. The women of Group A (n = 1 4) received transdermal ethinyl estradiol (EE). The women of Group B (n = 1 2) did not receive any therapy. A third ECG was performed in both groups 30 -35 days after randomization. Results: Bilateral oophorectomy did not induc e any significant modifications in the ECG parameters of the postmenopausal women whereas in the premenopausal women, we observed a significant increm ent in mean duration of the T wave, a significant decrease in its amplitude and significant reduction in ST depression in V2, V3, V4 and V5. The third ECG showed regression of the ECG modifications in Group A. In the women of Group B. the second and third ECGs were not substantially different, but t here were statistically significant differences between the first and third ECGs. Conclusions: The results of the present study show that ovariectomy induces significant though not clinically evident modifications in resting EGG. These ECG changes are probably due to the sudden reduction in sex horm one plasma levels after ovariectomy. Administration of estradiol induced re gression of the ECC modifications. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. A ll rights reserved.