Skip to main content

Vascular Effects of Progestogens

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sex Steroids' Effects on Brain, Heart and Vessels

Part of the book series: ISGE Series ((ISGE))

  • 678 Accesses

Abstract

Epidemiological, experimental, and biologic plausibility support a cardioprotective effect of estrogens in women. Indeed, women are protected until the menopause from the development of coronary artery disease and lag behind men in the incidence of myocardial infarction and sudden death by 20 years. Estradiol (E2) is implicated in this protective effect since at any age postmenopausal women have a greater cardiovascular risk than premenopausal and oophorectomized women not taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Our knowledge regarding the vascular effects of progestogens mainly originates from studies using HRT. Progestogen effects, which are summarized in this review, were assessed according to clinical endpoints, metabolic effects, and influence on vascular markers in vitro or in vivo, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. JAMA. 2002;288:321–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Women’s Health Initiative Steering Committee. Effects of conjugated equine estrogen in postmenopausal women with hysterectomy. JAMA. 2004;291:1701–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Schierbeck L. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with hormone replacement therapy. Climacteric. 2015;18:1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Manson JE, Aragaki AK, Rossouw JE, et al. (WHI Investigators). Menopausal hormone therapy and long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality: the women’s health initiative randomized trials. JAMA. 2017;318:927–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Harman SM, Black DM, Naftolin F, et al. Arterial imaging outcomes and cardiovascular risk factors in recently menopausal women: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2014;161:249–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hodis HN, Mack WJ, Henderson VW, et al. Vascular effects of early versus late postmenopausal treatment with estradiol. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1221–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lokkegaard E, Andreasen AH, Jacobsen RK, Lars Hougaard Nielsen LH, Carsten Agger C, Lidegaard O. Hormone therapy and risk of myocardial infarction: a national register study. Eur Heart J. 2008;29:2660–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Venetkoski MM, Savolainen-Peltonen HM, Rahkola-Soisalo PK, Hoti F, Vattulainen P, Gissler MVJ, Ylikorkala O, Mikkola TS. Increased cardiac and stroke death risk in the first year after discontinuation of postmenopausal hormone therapy. Menopause. 2017;25(4):375. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000001023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Mendelsohn ME, Karas RH. The protective effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system. N Engl J Med. 1999;340:1801–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cid MC, Schnaper HW, Kleinman HK. Estrogens and the vascular endothelium. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002;966:143–57.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mueck AO, Seeger H. Estrogens acting as cardiovascular agents: direct vascular actions. Curr Med Chem Cardiovasc Hematol Agents. 2004;2:35–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Pang Y, Dong J, Thomas P. Progesterone increases nitric oxide synthesis in human vascular endothelial cells through activation of membrane progesterone receptor-α. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2015;308:E899–911.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pang Y, Thomas P. Additive effects of low concentrations of estradiol-17β and progesterone on nitric oxide production by human vascular endothelial cells through shared signaling pathways. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2017;165:258–67.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Yuan XH, Fan YY, Yang CR, Gao XR, Zhang LL, Hu Y, Wang YQ, Jun H. Progesterone amplifies oxidative stress signal and promotes NO production via H2O2 in mouse kidney arterial endothelial cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2016;155:104–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Thomas P, Pang Y. Protective actions of progesterone in the cardiovascular system: potential role of membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs) in mediating rapid effects. Steroids. 2013;78:583–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. He Y, Gao Q, Han B, Zhu X, Zhu D, Tao J, Chen J, Xu Z. Progesterone suppressed vasoconstriction in human umbilical vein via reducing calcium entry. Steroids. 2016;108:118–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Miller NR, Dolinsky BM, Napolitano PG. Micronized progesterone reduces vasoconstriction in the placenta. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2015;28:1581–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ramírez-Rosas MB, Cobos-Puc LE, Sánchez-López A, Gutiérrez-Lara EJ, Centurión D. Pharmacological characterization of the mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxation induced by progesterone and 17β-estradiol on isolated canine basilar and internal carotid arteries. Steroids. 2014;89:33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Baber RJ, Panay N, Fenton A. (on behalf of the IMS Writing Group). 2016 IMS Recommendations on women’s midlife health and menopause hormone therapy. Climacteric. 2016;19:109–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Anggard E. Nitric oxide: mediator, murderer, and medicine. Lancet. 1994;343:1199–206.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Vane JR, Botting RM. Pharmacodynamic profile of prostacyclin. Am J Cardiol. 1995;75:3A–10A.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Levin EL. Endothelins. New Engl J Med. 1995;333:356–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rifai N, Ridker PM. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: a novel and promising marker of coronary heart disease. Clin Chem. 2001;47:403–11.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Yudkin JS, Kumari M, Humphries SE, Mohamed-Ali V. Inflammation, obesity, stress and coronary heart disease: is interleukin-6 the link? Atherosclerosis. 2000;148:209–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Chia MC. The role of adhesion molecules in atherosclerosis. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 1998;35:573–602.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Reape TJ, Groot TH. Chemokines and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. 1999;147:213–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Galis ZS, Khatri JJ. Matrix metalloproteinases in vascular remodelling and atherogenesis. Circ Res. 2002;90:251–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kohler HP, Grant PJ. Plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 and coronary artery disease. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:1792–801.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Simoncini T, Caruso A, Girett MS, Scorticati C, Fu X-D, Garibaldi S, Baldacci C, Mannella P, Fornari L, Genazzani A. Effects of dydrogesterone and of its stable metabolite 20-alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone, on nitric oxide synthesis in human endothelial cells. Fertil Steril. 2006;86(Suppl 3):1235–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mueck AO, Seeger H, Wallwiener D. Medroxyprogesterone acetate versus norethisterone: effect on estradiol-induced changes of markers for endothelial function and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics in human female coronary endothelial cell cultures. Menopause. 2002;9:273–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Cushman M, Legault C, Barrett-Connor E, Stefanick ML, Kessler C, Judd HL, Sakkinen PA, Tracy RP. Effect of postmenopausal hormones on inflammation-sensitive proteins: the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) Study. Circulation. 1999;100:717–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Freudenberger T, Deenen R, Kretschmer I, Zimmermann A, Seiler LF, Mayer P, Heim HK, Köhrer K, Fischer JW. Synthetic gestagens exert differential effects on arterial thrombosis and aortic gene expression in ovariectomized apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Br J Pharmacol. 2014;171:5032–48.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Ito F, Mori T, Takaoka O, Tanaka Y, Koshiba A, Tatsumi H, Iwasa K, Kitawaki J. Effects of drospirenone on adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adherence in human endothelial cells. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016;201:113–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Seeger H, Kloosterboer HJ, Studen M, Wallwiener D, Mueck AO. In vitro effects of tibolone and its metabolites on human vascular coronary cells. Maturitas. 2007;58:42–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Mueck AO, Seeger H, Deuringer FU, Wallwiener D. Effect of estrogen/statin combination on biochemical markers of endothelial function in human coronary cell cultures. Menopause. 2001;8:216–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. HERS Study Group. Statin therapy, cardiovascular events, and total mortality in the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study. Circulation. 2002;105:2962–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Berglind IA, Andersen M, Citarella A, Linder M, Sundstrom A, Kieler H. Hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in women treated with statins. Menopause. 2014;22:369–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Imthurn B, Rosselli M, Jaeger AW, Keller PJ, Dubey RK. Differential effects of hormone-replacement therapy on endogenous nitric oxide (nitrite/nitrate) levels in postmenopausal women substituted with 17 beta-estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate or medroxyprogesterone acetate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82:388–94.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Rosselli M, Imthurn B, Keller PJ, Jackson EK, Dubey RK. Circulating nitric oxide (nitrite/nitrate) levels in postmenopausal women substituted with 17beta-estradiol and norethisterone acetate. A two-year follow-up study. Hypertension. 1995;25:848–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Ylikorkala O, Cacciatore B, Paakkari I, Tikkanen MJ, Viinika L, Toivonen J. The long-term effects of oral and transdermal postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy on nitric oxide, endothelin-1, prostacyclin, and thromboxane. Fertil Steril. 1998;69:883–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Seeger H, Mueck AO, Teichmann AT, Lippert TH. Effect of sequential estrogen/progestin treatment on biochemical markers in postmenopausal women comparing oral and transdermal application. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2000;27:17–20.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Mueck AO, Seeger H, Lüdtke R, Gräser T, Wallwiener D. Effect on biochemical vasoactive markers during postmenopausal HRT: estradiol vs. estradiol/dienogest. Maturitas. 2001;38:305–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Mueck AO, Ruan X, Seeger H, Hanke H. Vasodilative potency induced with Estradiol in women with and without CAD during standardized stress:- two paralyzed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over studies. 18th World Congress of Gynecological Endocrinology, Florence (Italy), March 7th-10th 2018, Abstract ID 6616.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alfred O. Mueck .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ruan, X., Mueck, A.O. (2019). Vascular Effects of Progestogens. In: Brinton, R., Genazzani, A., Simoncini, T., Stevenson, J. (eds) Sex Steroids' Effects on Brain, Heart and Vessels. ISGE Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11355-1_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11355-1_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11354-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11355-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics