Atherosclerotic burden during the menopausal transition is a wakeup call.

Original Articles 10 The perimenopausal atherosclerosis transition: relationships between calcified and noncalcified coronary, aortic, and carotid atherosclerosis and risk factors and hormone levels Jamalah A. Munir, MD, Hongyan Wu, MD, MPH, Kelly Bauer, RN, Jody Bindeman, BSN, Carole Byrd, RN, Irwin M. Feuerstein, MD, Todd C. Villines, MD, and Allen J. Taylor, MD Markers of androgenicity (increased free testosterone and reduced sex hormoneYbinding globulin) were associated with increased extent of calcified and noncalcified coronary artery plaque and aortic plaque. However, these relationships were not independent of cardiovascular risk factors.