[Comparison of Doppler flowmetry in brachial artery in Mexican postmenopausal women with and without symptoms].

Background: Brachial artery doppler fluxometry permits to evaluate the endothelial function in a non-invasive way.

Objective: To know the effect of vasomotor symptoms in brachial artery flux ultrasonographic parameters in Mexican postmenopausal women.

Material And Methods: A prospective study was done including postmenopausal women divided into two groups: I) without hot-flushes and II) with hot-flushes. To all them Doppler fluxometry was done. The pulsatility index resistance index and arterial diameter were determined previous and after the hyperemic stimulus. The intensity of vasomotor symptoms (hot-flushes, throbs and sweatings) was determined using an analog visual scale; and the number of each one of them was determined. For statistical analysis Student t test for independent and paired samples was used. Correlation analysis was done between age, time since menopause, hot flushes, throbs and sweating with pulsatility index, resistance index and arterial diameter previous and after hyperemic stimulus.

Results: Thirty patients were divided into two groups of 15 women each. No differences were found between the groups neither in age, anthropometric variables, pulsatility index, resistance index nor arterial diameter neither before nor after hyperemic stimulus; only there was a statistically significant increase in arterial diameter after hyperemic stimulus in group I (p < 0.001). In group I a positive correlation was found between age and baseline resistance index and in group II between baseline resistance index and the number of throbs per week.

Conclusion: Women with hot-flushes have a healthier endothelium.