The influence of exercise and estrogen replacement on primary lipid coronary risk markers in postmenopausal women

Although endurance exercise and supplemental estrogen have both been shown to improve serum Lipid cardiac risk profiles in postmenopausal women, data regarding a possible synergistic influence are scarce and inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether such a synergistic influenc e could be demonstrated. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), HD L-cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL2-C, HDL3-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides (TG) were o btained from postmenopausal women (N = 45) in each of 4 groups: currently e xercising and taking estrogen replacement, exercising and not taking estrog en, sedentary and taking estrogen, and sedentary and not taking estrogen. H DL-C was on average 21% higher (p < .05) and the HDL-C:LDL-C ratio on avera ge 45% higher (p < .05) in the exercise-plus-estrogen group than in any of the other 3 groups. It was concluded that the combination of endurance exer cise and estrogen replacement might be associated with better lipid coronar y risk profiles in postmenopausal women than either intervention alone.