Use of vascular Doppler ultrasound to detect acute estradiol vascular effect in postmenopausal women.

Objectives: To report on a simple practical test for assessing acute estradiol vascular effects on healthy and unhealthy postmenopausal women.

Introduction: Estradiol acts in the endothelium to promote vasodilatation through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, but its vascular action may be impaired in diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking and obesity.

Methods: Nineteen postmenopausal women (nine healthy and 10 with two or more of the above factors) of similar age and time since menopause were examined with vascular Doppler ultrasound.