Ultrasonographic and pathological endometrial findings in asymptomatic postmenopausal women taking antihypertensive drugs

Objectives
To assess whether abnormal sonographic endometrial findings are more frequent in asymptomatic postmenopausal women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs than in normotensive women.

Methods
A prospective study on 187 postmenopausal asymptomatic normotensive (group A) and 182 postmenopausal asymptomatic women receiving anti-hypertensive drugs (group B) was performed. All patients were evaluated initially by transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial sampling (Pipelle device). Those women with abnormal sonographic findings (endometrial thickness > or =5 mm or heterogeneous echogenicity) or abnormal endometrial sampling results underwent hysteroscopy and guided biopsy.

Results

Patients in group B had significantly higher percentage of endometrial thickness > or =5 mm (26.9 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) and heterogeneous endometria (23.1 vs. 12.8%, P<0.001) than in group A. Patients in group B had a significantly higher incidence of endometrial polyps (17.6 vs. 9.6%, P<0.001) too. These findings were not associated with the type of anti-hypertensive drug taken and were independent of the body mass index.

Conclusions
Postmenopausal hypertensive asymptomatic women receiving pharmacological anti-hypertensive therapy show a higher percentage of abnormal sonographic endometrial findings than normotensive women.

CITA DEL ARTÍCULO  Maturitas. 2003 Sep 25;46(1):27-32.  doi: 10.1016/s0378-5122(03)00160-9.