Associations among androgens, estrogens, and natriuretic peptides in young women : Observations from the dallas heart study

We sought to determine if natriuretic peptides are associated with estrogen and androgen status in a population study of young women without known cardiac disease. Circulating concentrations of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) are higher in women than in men, and they may be influenced by estrogens and androgens. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, dual energy X-ray absorbtiometry, and measurements of BNP, NT-proBNP, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), were performed in 682 women (ages 35 to 49 years) participating in the Dallas Heart Study. In multivariable analyses adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), serum creatinine, left ventricular mass and left ventricular ejection fraction