Treatment with aromatase inhibitors and markers of cardiovascular disease

The cardiovascular effects of estrogen deprivation induced by aromatase inhibitors are unknown. We carried out a cross-sectional study to evaluate the effect of estrogen deprivation induced by aromatase inhibitors on markers of cardiovascular risk. We enrolled 410 postmenopausal women: 200 consecutive breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors for a median of 53 months (range 23–122) and 210 volunteer controls. Carotid intima-media thickness, presence of carotid stenosis, and presence of abdominal aortic aneurism were evaluated through an ultrasound examination. Average carotid intima-media thickness was 0.97 ± 0.02 mm and 1.08 ± 0.02 mm for breast cancer group and control group, respectively (p