The effects of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy on sympathetic skin response.

Objectives: To determine the effects of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy on 'sympathetic skin response' test which is one of the tests to evaluate autonomic functions.

Methods: Sixty postmenopausal women, 30 of whom taking hormone replacement therapy and the remaining 30 without hormone replacement therapy, were enrolled in this study. Sympathetic skin responses were recorded in each subject by Medelec Premiere electromyograph. Latency and amplitude of sympathetic skin response and area under the negative component of sympathetic skin response were measured and the groups were compared statistically regarding these results.

Results: Latency values of the groups were not significantly different, whilst the difference between the sympathetic skin response amplitudes of the groups, as well as the difference between the measurements of area under the negative component of sympathetic skin response of the groups were statistically significant.

Conclusion: The results of the current study seem to indicate that estrogen has a significant inhibitory effect on the sympathetic neuron pool at the spinal cord level.