MONDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- In postmenopausal women, use of oral estrogens -- but not transdermal estrogens -- is associated with increased thrombin generation, according to research presented at the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2010 Scientific Sessions, held from April 8 to 10 in San Francisco.
Pierre-Yves Scarabin, M.D., of Inserm in Villejuif, France, and colleagues measured endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) in stored plasma samples from a random sample of women aged 65 to 80 from the Three City study without factor V Leiden and G20210A prothrombin mutations. The subjects included 21 users of oral estrogens, 60 users of transdermal estrogens, and 421 non-users.
The researchers' adjusted analysis found that mean levels of ETP were higher among women using oral estrogens than among non-users (1,920 versus 1,783 nM.min), and that women using transdermal estrogens had the same mean level as non-users (1,783 nM.min). Additionally, they found a significant difference in thrombin generation between women using oral and transdermal estrogens. They observed similar results among women using estrogens alone or combined with progestogens.
"These findings add to the epidemiological evidence that the route of estrogen administration is an important determinant of the venous thromboembolism risk among women using hormone therapy," the authors conclude.
Abstract No. P622
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