Hormone therapy and the progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

Background: In postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease, conjugated equine estrogen with or without continuous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate has failed to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Whether 17beta-estradiol (the endogenous estrogen molecule) alone or administered sequentially with medroxyprogesterone acetate can slow the progression of atherosclerosis is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 226 postmenopausal women (mean age, 63.

Coronary artery-left ventricular communications: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two patients with chest pain had angiographically-demonstrated communications between the three coronary arteries and the left ventricular chamber. Communications between coronary arteries and the left ventricle are unusual and communications between all three coronary arteries and the left ventricle are rare. These anomalies are, however, commonly associated with symptoms of chest pain.