Coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women; the role of endogenous estrogens and their receptors.

Coronary heart disease is the main cause of death in women. Women during reproductive years are at lower risk for coronary heart disease than men but this difference tends to disappear after the menopause. In this article, we briefly review the clinical and experimental data which highlight the protective role of endogenous estrogens in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease focusing on women after the menopause. Furthermore, recent data about the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of estrogen action on the vasculature are presented.