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Background: The prevalence of heart failure among diabetic patients is high, also in those with normal blood pressure and without coronary artery disease, even when electrocardiogram (ECG) is normal. The goal of our study was to assess the prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) among diabetic women (DW) and its correlation with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, obesity status, and ECG parameters., Methods: A group of 456 consecutive normotensive postmenopausal women affected by type 2 diabetes, diagnosed over 5 years, were enrolled. One hundred normotensive non-diabetic postmenopausal women were included as a control group (CG). Rest ECG and trans-thoracic echocardiogram and Doppler were performed., Results: LVDD was present in 103 (23.3%) out of 456 DW, and 8 out of 100 women in CG (8%), p < 0.001. There was no difference in mean age between the two groups: 56 ± 13 and 55 ± 3, respectively (p = 0.3). There were 191 (41.9%) DW with body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m². Among those, there were 56 (12.3%) with significant prevalence of LVDD, while there were 49 (10.7%) with BMI < 30 kg/m², p < 0.005. DW with HbA1c > 7.5% comprised a group of 243 (53.3%) patients. Among those, there were 45 (9.9%) with higher prevalence of LVDD, and 15 (3.3%) with HbA1c < 7.5%, p < 0.01. Out of a group of 147 (32.2%) DW with abnormal ECG , 21 had LVDD (4.6%), p = 0,1, and 84 (18.8%) had LVDD with normal ECG., Conclusions: Our data prove a high prevalence of LVDD in asymptomatic diabetic postmenopausal women. This finding is closely related with HbA1c levels and obesity status, not with abnormal ECG, which is a unique cardiologic test recommended by current guidelines in all diabetic patients. We conclude that early detection of high level of HbA1c and obesity (30 kg/m²) may identify women with major risk to develop LVDD. Furthermore, a simple ECG, when normal, is not enough to assess a normal LV diastolic function.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate isometric muscle contraction (handgrip) changes on key elements of cardiac afterload, before and after raloxifene administration in postmenopausal women., Methods/results: 12 postmenopausal and 12 fertile women were studied. Postmenopausal women underwent raloxifene administration (60 mg/day for 30 days). We evaluated vascular reactivity in superficial palmar arterial arch during handgrip in postmenopausal women before and after (M+R) drug administration, and in controls. Blood flow was higher after raloxifene administration (p<0.05). Mean arterial pressure (MAP)/mean arterial flow (Fmed) and arterial pulse pressure (APP)/systolic maximum arterial flow (Fmax syst) were lower after raloxifene administration (p<0.001). Systolic blood pressure (SBP)/R-R ratio was higher in postmenopausal women than in the controls and M+R (p<0.01). End-handgrip systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in patients before raloxifene administration than in controls (p<0.001); diastolic and mean arterial pressure reduced after raloxifene administration (p<0.001). End-effort APP/Fmax syst-ratio before treatment was higher than baseline (p<0.05). Controls and no-treated patients showed a MAP/Fmed ratio at end-handgrip higher than M+R group and rest (p<0.05). Handgrip reduced R-R interval and increased SBP/R-R ratio were shown in all groups (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Raloxifene reduced the vascular effects of isometric muscle contraction by modulating the vasomotor tone of peripheral vessels in relation to exercise., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and aim: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common disease in women, causing chest pain and palpitation due to structural and functional valve abnormality, and is sometimes associated with gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a challenging clinical problem in clinical practice and requires targeted diagnostic assessment to identify the underlying causes of the symptoms, because treatment needs to be tailored, according to the causes themselves, to resolve the symptoms. Aim: To assess the prevalence of GERD in a population of postmenopausal women affected by MVP and determine if there is any correlation between the two conditions. Methods: The MVP diagnosis was performed using echocardiograpy examination, according to American Society Echocardiography criteria. Two hundred and eighty‐nine consecutive MVP women, symptomatic for chest pain and palpitation, were included; 250 consecutive women without MVP, symptomatic for chest pain and palpitation, were the control group (CG). The GERD diagnosis was made according to 2013 American College Gastroenterology criteria; women affected by thyroid disorders, all heart disease, including mitral disease with moderate or severe mitral regurgitation, and gastrointestinal diseases assessed using gastroscopy were excluded. Results: Among 289 women with MVP, 31 (11%) women were affected by GERD, and among 250 in the CG, 11 (4.4%) women were affected by GERD: Chi‐squared 8.1; odds ratio 2.7; P < 0.0044. Twenty‐six (9%) women affected by GERD, with MVP, presented with mild mitral regurgitation, and 7 (2.8%) women in the CG presented with mild mitral regurgitation as well: Chi‐squared 8.95; odds ratio 3.4; 95% CI, P < 0.0028. Discussion and conclusions: GERD is relatively common in women with MVP. Moreover, women with MVP are approximately three times more likely to be affected by GERD; the two conditions are correlated in a statistically high significant way. GERD assessment needs to be included into routine follow‐up strategies in women with MVP to optimise medical therapy, improvinge symptom relief for better quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The long-term efficacy of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes is controversial. Therefore, it is recommended only on an individual basis, recommendation of grade C. Methods: We enrolled 275 consecutive postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes, without an increased bleeding risk and without preexisting CV disease as coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, but with a high risk assessed by score >10%, aged 60-69 years. All were receiving aspirin (75-100 mg daily), aspirin group (AG). 170 postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes and without preexisting cardiovascular (CV) disease, but not on aspirin treatment, despite a high risk assessed by score >10%, were control group (CG). Mean age was 66 ± 4 years for AG and 65 ± 7 years for CG. Our goal was to identify the prevalence of low-dose aspirin prescriptions in these populations according to different clinical conditions. Results: Women with only high risk were 41/275 (15%) on AG and 72/170 (42.3%) on CG, Chi-squared 41, Odds ratio 0.2, c.i. 95%, P < 0.0001. Women affected by metabolic syndrome were 105/275 (38.1%) on AG and 47/170 (27.6%) on CG, Chi-squared 5.1, Odds ratio 1.6, c.i. 95%, P < 0.02. Women affected by metabolic cardiomyopathy were 111/275 (40.3%) on AG and 44/170 (25.9%) on CG, Chi-squared 8, Odds ratio 1.8, c.i. 95%, P < 0.004. Women affected by diabetic cardiomyopathy were 18/275 (6.6%) on AG and 7/170 (4.2%) on CG, Chi-squared 1.2, Odds ratio 16, c.i. 95%, P < 0.2 n.s. Conclusions: Low-dose aspirin in our population is prescribed preferentially in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes when affected by metabolic syndrome or metabolic cardiomyopathy, at the opposite women with only high risk have lower chance to receive aspirin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Our study investigates major common cardiovascular risk factors relation with aortic stiffness on 269 postmenopausal women by global pulse wave velocity (PWVg), useful to relate PWVg to risk of major cardiovascular events. Patients and Methods. Women were categorized as hypertensive (H), hypercholesterolemic (C), or diabetic (D). Aortic stiffness was assessed by PWVg measured with pulsed Doppler, at the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and at the right common femoral artery. Results. All population mean PWVg was 8.2 m/s. 85 (26.5%) women were H; mean PWVg was 7.9 m/s. HC women were 118 (36.7%), with mean PWVg 8.3 m/s. HD women were 30 (9.5%), with mean PWVg 7.8 m/s. HDC women were 36 (11.2%), with mean PWVg 9.3 m/s. 52 (16.1%) menstruate women without risk factor were control group (CG), with mean PWVg 6.5 m/s. Highly significant was the statistical difference in PWVg between HDC women and each other group: P < 0.0005 versus CG; P < 0.01 versus H; P < 0.03 versus HC, and P < 0.05 versus HD. No difference in PWG was observed comparing the other groups. There was difference for age among all groups, except for CG, made by younger women. Conclusion. PWVg was highly increased in postmenopausal women affected by hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia all at once. Hypertension is the major determinant for PWVg. The only addition of diabetes or hypercholesterolemia did not increase significantly PWVg. Our study supports the usefulness of the assessment of aortic stiffness as a marker of cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to the literature, estradiol has a direct vasodilator action by means of endothelium-derived relaxing factorsynthesis. The present study aims to evaluate the acute hemodynamic effects of intranasal 17-β-estradiol on cerebral and lowerlimb arterial circulation in postmenopausal women. Methods: Sixteen healthy women in natural menopause (mean age: 54 ± 3years) were investigated for at least 6 months, each receiving 300 mg of intranasal 17-β-estradiol. We evaluated the heart rate,systolic/diastolic blood pressure, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, and velocity-time integral (VTI) at the level of internalcarotid and posterior tibial arteries, before and after 30, 60, and 180 minutes of drug administration. Results: After intranasal17-β-estradiol administration, the internal carotid artery VTI showed statistically significant (P < .05) variations at all the timeintervals after administration of the drug (30, 60, and 180 minutes) when compared with "time zero" (T0, ie, the speed recorded atbaseline before drug administration). No significant variation was found at the posterior tibial artery. The systolic/diastolic bloodpressure and heart rate did not significantly differ before and after drug administration. Conclusions: The administration of asingle intranasal dose of 17-β-estradiol in healthy postmenopausal women increased cerebral perfusions, whereas the effect onperipheral circulation was much more limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]