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. 2006 Nov;91(11):4433-7.
doi: 10.1210/jc.2006-0932. Epub 2006 Aug 29.

Circulating estradiol is an independent predictor of progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in middle-aged men

Asa Tivesten  1 , Johannes Hulthe, Karin Wallenfeldt, John Wikstrand, Claes Ohlsson, Björn Fagerberg
Affiliations

Circulating estradiol is an independent predictor of progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in middle-aged men

Asa Tivesten et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Nov.

Abstract

Context: Estrogen treatment of men with prostate cancer is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; however, the role of endogenous estrogen levels for atherosclerotic disease in men is unknown.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether endogenous serum estradiol (E2) levels predict the progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in men.

Design, setting and participants: This was a population-based, prospective cohort study (the Atherosclerosis and Insulin Resistance study) conducted in Göteborg, Sweden, among 313 Caucasian men without cardiovascular or other clinically overt diseases. Carotid artery intima-media thickness, an index of preclinical atherosclerosis, was measured by ultrasound at baseline (58 yr of age) and after 3 yr of follow-up. Serum sex hormone levels and cardiovascular risk factors (body mass index, waist to hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, serum triglycerides, plasma c-peptide, and smoking status) were assessed at study entry.

Intervention: There was no intervention.

Main outcome measures: Association between baseline total and free E2 levels and progression of carotid intima-media thickness over 3 yr with adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors was measured.

Results: In univariate analyses, both total and free E2 levels at baseline were positively associated with the annual change in intima-media thickness. In linear regression models including E2 and cardiovascular risk factors, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and E2 were identified as independent predictors of progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness (total E2 beta = 0.187, P = 0.001; and free E2 beta = 0.183, P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Circulating E2 is a predictor of progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in middle-aged men. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of endogenous E2 for incident cardiovascular disease events.

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