Coronary endothelial function is better in healthy premenopausal women than in healthy older postmenopausal women and men

• Published in: PloS one 2017-10, Vol.12 (10), p.e0186448-e0186448
• Main Authors: Mathews, Lena, Iantorno, Micaela, Schär, Michael, Bonanno, Gabriele, Gerstenblith, Gary, Weiss, Robert G, Hays, Allison G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Arteriosclerosis; Atherogenesis; Atherosclerosis; Barometers; Biology and Life Sciences; Calcium; Cardiovascular diseases; Cerebral blood flow; Clinical trials; Coding; Comparative analysis; Complications and side effects; Computed tomography; Coronary artery; Coronary artery disease; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Vessels - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Vessels - physiology; Demographic aspects; Diseases; Endothelium, Vascular - diagnostic imaging; Endothelium, Vascular - physiology; Female; Gender aspects; Gender differences; Health aspects; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heart diseases; Hormone replacement therapy; Humans; Isometric; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Men; Menopause; Middle Aged; Mortality; Post-menopause; Postmenopausal women; Postmenopause; Premenopause; Regional Blood Flow; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Sex; Sex differences; Vasodilation
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186448

Premenopausal women have fewer cardiovascular disease (CVD) events than postmenopausal women and age-matched men, but the reasons are not fully understood. Coronary endothelial function (CEF), a barometer of coronary vascular health, promises important insights into age and sex differences in atherosclerotic CVD risk, but has not been well characterized in healthy individuals because of the invasive nature of conventional CEF measurements. Recently developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods were used to quantify CEF (coronary area and flow changes in response to isometric handgrip exercise (IHE), an endothelial-dependent stressor) to test the hypothesis that healthy women have better CEF compared to men particularly at a younger age. The study participants were 50 healthy women and men with no history of coronary artery disease (CAD) or traditional CV risk factors and Agatston coronary calcium score (on prior CT)