Project 415561

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death in women globally, highlighting the importance of studying sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors, such as exposure to estrogens. Sixty percent of reproductive age women use a contraceptive, and globally 60000 women become menopausal daily. The birth control pill and postmenopausal hormone therapy taken by mouth are associated with increased risk of hypertension and heart attack, though how a women takes estrogen hormones (by mouth or by another route, such as through the skin or other) of may change this risk. The goal of the proposed program of research is to investigate the association between how a women takes estrogen (by mouth or not) and cardiovascular risk in women. We hypothesize that non-oral exogenous estrogen, compared to oral exogenous estrogen, exposure will be associated with lower markers of cardiovascular risk. We will evaluate the role of the route of administration (by mouth or other) of estrogen on the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease throughout a woman's life. How stiff a person's blood vessels are is a marker of future risk of heart attack. We will measure and compare the blood vessel stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women using non-oral (not by mouth) hormone therapy to that of menopausal women using oral hormone therapy and women not using any hormone therapy. This research program will advance our understanding of how commonly used estrogens impact cardiovascular risk and address the broader understanding of women's cardiovascular health.