Effects of estrogen therapy and aerobic training on sympathetic activity and hemodynamics in healthy postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the isolated and associated effects of aerobic training and estrogen therapy on sympathetic nerve activity and hemodynamics in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods: Forty-five postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 51 [3] y) were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary-placebo (SED-PLA; n = 11), sedentary-estrogen therapy (SED-ET; n = 14), aerobic training-placebo (AT-PLA; n = 12), and aerobic training-estrogen therapy (AT-ET; n = 8). The ET groups received oral estradiol valerate (1 mg/d), whereas the PLA groups received placebo.

Low-dose estrogen therapy does not change postexercise hypotension, sympathetic nerve activity reduction, and vasodilation in healthy postmenopausal women.

The aim of this study was to determine whether estrogen therapy enhances postexercise muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) decrease and vasodilation, resulting in a greater postexercise hypotension. Eighteen postmenopausal women received oral estrogen therapy (ET; n=9, 1 mg/day) or placebo (n=9) for 6 mo. They then participated in one 45-min exercise session (cycle ergometer at 50% of oxygen uptake peak) and one 45-min control session (seated rest) in random order.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the effects of physical exercises and estrogen therapy on health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the isolated and associated effects of estrogen therapy (estradiol valerate 1 mg/d orally) and physical exercise (moderate aerobic exercise, 3 h/wk) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and menopausal symptoms among women who had undergone hysterectomy.

Design: A 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 44 postmenopausal women who had undergone hysterectomy. The interventions were physical exercise and hormone therapy (n = 9), being sedentary and hormone therapy (n = 14), physical exercise and placebo (n = 11), and being sedentary and placebo (n = 10).