Variants translating reduced expression of the beta estrogen receptor gene were associated with increased carotid intima media thickness: A cross-sectional study in late postmenopausal women.

There is debate on the role of estrogens in modulating the risk for atherosclerosis in women. Our purpose was to investigate whether the size of the estrogenic impact was independently associated with variation of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy late postmenopausal women. The levels of circulating estrogens have been used in previous studies but the influence of SNPs of the estrogen receptors (ER) α and β have not been investigated.