Relation of fibrinolytic potentiation by estrogen to coagulation pathway activation in postmenopausal women.

To determine whether enhanced fibrinolysis is a primary effect of estrogen or is secondary to activation of coagulation, we measured hemostatic factors before and after conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg/day for 1 month in 9 postmenopausal women. We found that potentiation of fibrinolysis is a primary effect of conjugated equine estrogens at this commonly used dosage in healthy postmenopausal women.