Vascular impedance of uterine, inferior vesicle, and ophthalmic arteries in postmenopausal women receiving hormonal replacement therapy: Comparative Doppler study

Aim. To investigate the effects of combined hormone replacement therapy (HR T) on the vascular impedance of the uterine, inferior vesicle, and ophthalm ic artery. Methods. Thirty-five postmenopausal patients were divided in two groups: 21 patients with 1-5 years of menopause and 14 patients with greater than or equal to 6 years of menopause. Each group was examined in basal condition a nd after 1, 3, and 6 months of HRT. The blood flow impedances of the uterin e, inferior vesicle, and ophthalmic arteries were analyzed by color Doppler , Estradiol plasma concentrations were assayed on the day of Doppler examin ation. Results. The analysis of uterine and inferior vesicle artery flow velocitie s showed a significant positive correlation between the resistance index (R T) and years of menopause. Higher impedance values were found in patients w ith longer interval from last menstrual bleeding (p <0.05). In patients wit h greater than or equal to 6 years of menopause, the impedances of uterine and inferior vesicle arteries were 0.94+/-0.03 and 0.91+/-0.04, respectivel y, whereas in patients with 1-5 years of menopause the impedances were 0.89 +/-0.04 and 0.98+/-0.02, respectively. We noticed no significant correlatio n between baseline RT and duration of menopause at the level of ophthalmic artery in either group (0.72 vs. 0.73, respectively; p<0.05). After six mon ths-of HRT, plasma estradiol concentrations inversely correlated with RI of uterine (r=0.2556; p =0.021), inferior vesicle (r=0.2653; p=0.023) and oph thalmic (r=-0.2211; p=0.017) arteries. Conclusion. Doppler studies of uterine, inferior vesicle, and ophthalmic ar teries can provide specific and precise pathophysiological information to a ssess blood flow variations in correlation with combined HRT.