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Premarin Effects on Lipid Profiles

Premarin is the trade name for a hormone replacement therapy drug product made from conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs). Hormones, including estrogen, are potent naturally occurring chemicals that can affect many systems in the body, including lipids. Well-controlled clinical studies in the United States and abroad have found beneficial effects of estrogen levels on lipid profiles in postmenopausal women. Here are the results of two large studies, one in the U.S. and one in Greece, and a smaller study in Turkey.

  1. Effect on High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol

    • HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol because higher HDL levels are known to exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. The studies found that use of Premarin or CEEs in postmenopausal women significantly increased levels of HDL cholesterol.

    Effect on Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol

    • LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol because higher levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. LDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women decreased significantly with CEE use. Postmenopausal women with higher LDL cholesterol levels at the start of the study had the biggest decrease.

    Effect on Total Cholesterol

    • Total cholesterol is a measure of all the cholesterol and triglycerides in your body. High cholesterol levels can increase your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. The studies showed that CEEs significantly lowered total cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women. Women with higher total cholesterol levels to begin with had the greatest benefit from CEE use.

    Effect on Lipoprotein A

    • Lipoprotein A is a major constituent of your LDL. High levels of lipoprotein A put you at increased risk of heart disease. CEE use in postmenopausal women significantly lowered lipoprotein A levels in the studies.

    Effect on Apolipoprotein A (Apo A)

    • Apo A is the major component of your HDL and is responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver where it is metabolized or chewed up and eliminated from the body via the intestine. CEEs significantly decreased Apo A levels in postmenopausal women in these studies.

    Effect on Apolipoprotein B (Apo B)

    • Apo B is the major lipoprotein found in your LDL. Apo B is responsible for transporting cholesterol and triglycerides to tissues and cells in the body. Higher levels of Apo B are associated with increased risk for heart disease. Postmenopausal women taking CEEs had significantly lower Apo B levels in these studies.

    Effect on Triglycerides (TGs)

    • Triglycerides are the building blocks of many types of lipids or fats. TG levels don't correlate with heart disease, but excessively high TG levels can lead to inflammation of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. CEE use significantly increased TG levels in postmenopausal women.

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