Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease in Type II Diabetic Postmenopausal Women

Conflicting results exist about the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in postmenopausal women. Given that CAD is the most common cause of death in Type II diabetic women, better understanding of this issue is particularly important for postmenopausal women with Type II diabetes. Accordingly, this project utilized a database of de-identified electronic medical records to investigate the prevalence of CAD in postmenopausal Type II diabetic women between the ages of 55-75 with or without HRT. Further analysis of two of the most common HRTs, premarin and estrace, was conducted to compare their effects on the prevalence of CAD. There was no difference in CAD prevalence in Type II diabetic postmenopausal women with or without HRT. In addition, there was no difference between the two forms of HRT, premarin and estrace, in the prevalence of CAD. These findings may have important implications for management of post-menopausal symptoms in women with Type II diabetes