Increased endometrial thickness in women with hypertension

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2000-09, Vol.183 (3), p.583-587
• Main Authors: Bornstein, Jacob, Auslender, Ron, Goldstein, Shai, Kohan, Ricardo, Stolar, Zmira, Abramovici, Haim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - therapeutic use; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; endometrial carcinoma; endometrial hyperplasia; Endometrium; Endometrium - diagnostic imaging; Endometrium - pathology; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; hypertension; Hypertension - diagnostic imaging; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - pathology; Logistic Models; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Toxicity: urogenital system; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1067/mob.[phone]

Objective: We noticed an increase in endometrial thickness in women with hypertension who were treated with a combination of medications, including β-blockers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the endometrium of hypertensive women is thicker than that of healthy women and to determine whether endometrial thickening in hypertensive women is directly related to the antihypertensive β-blocker treatment. Study Design: We compared 3 groups of postmenopausal patients as follows: (1) women with a history of essential hypertension treated with a combination of medications, including β-blockers; (2) women with a history of hypertension treated with a combination of medications that did not include β-blockers; and (3) healthy women without hypertension. All patients were interviewed and examined, blood tests were performed, and endometrial thickness in the anterior-posterior diameter was measured by vaginal ultrasonography. Among the exclusion criteria were diabetes or an abnormal fasting blood glucose level, obesity, hormonal medication or replacement hormonal therapy during the previous 6 months, and a history of hormonal disturbances, infertility, or polycystic ovary syndrome. Results: Of 45 hypertensive women enrolled in the study, 22 were treated with a β-blocker combination medication and 23 were treated with other antihypertensive medications. They were compared with 25 healthy women. There was no statistically significant difference in endometrial thickness between women treated with medications, including β-blockers, and those who were treated with other hypotensive agents. Twenty percent of women with hypertension and none of the healthy women had endometrium >5 mm thick (P