Effects of menopause on clinical profile and cardiovascular risk factors of women with coronary heart disease

Objective: To study the effects of menopause on clinical profile and risk factors of women with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Risk factors, clinical symptoms and coronary angiographic characteristics of CHD were investigated retrospectively in the following subjects who came to our hospital between February 2009 and January 2011: 29 premenopausal women with CHD, 31 age-matched male patients (control group), 67 postmenopausal women with CHD (30 whose menopause lasted 5 years or less and 37 whose menopause lasted more than 5 years), and 60 healthy postmenopausal women (30 whose menopause lasted 5 years or less and 30 whose menopause lasted more than 5 years). Results: Compared with the men, abnormal metabolism of sugar and family history of CHD were significantly higher in premenopausal group than in male group (P<0.05), and most of them in premenopausal group had typical angina. Compared with premenopausal group, a significantly increased number of patients in postmenopausal groups had hypertension as menopause prolonged (P<0.01); meanwhile, the number of patients with abnormal metabolism, family history of CHD and typical angina markedly reduced (P<0.05). Coronary artery disease was primarily a single lesion in women (P<0.05). The level of estrogen and progesterone declined after menopause in menopausal CHD groups than in the healthy group with menopause for less than years (P<0.05); progesterone level dropped especially significantly as menopause prolonged. However, no such difference was found between CHD groups after menopause. Conclusion: Males and females have different cardiovascular risk factors and clinical profile. Menopause affects cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery lesions in female CHD patients, and the decline of estrogen and progesterone level is probably one of the causes.