The influence of apo E phenotypes on the plasma triglycerides response to hormonal replacement therapy during the menopause

Objective: To study the influence of apo E phenotype in plasma lipids, especially in triglycerides levels, in menopausal women receiving hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). Methods: One hundred and ten postmenopausal women were studied. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C and triglycerides (TG) were measured before and after 3 months of HRT and the apo E phenotype was determined. According to the apo E phenotype the sample was divided into three groups: E2/E3 (n=28), E3/E3 (n=96) and E4/E3 (n=25). Results: In the pre-treatment state, higher plasma levels of TC and TC/HDL-C ratio were observed in women with phenotype E3/E4 (P<0.0001 and P<0.02, respectively), while higher plasma TG levels w…