Hormones for the Heart

Even without triparanol, men who have had heart attacks and are threatened with others can still have their cholesterol lowered by a drug -- provided they are willing to put up with breast enlargement, loss of potency and other side effects from female sex hormones. Figuring that heart disease sufferers would not mind such symptoms if they also developed one more aspect of femininity -- relative immunity from heart attacks until late in life -- Chicago's Dr. Jeremiah Stamler and fellow researchers treated a group of patients with Premarin, a combination of estrogenic hormones.

Without such treatment, Dr. Stamler told a symposium at Philadelphia's Hahnemann Medical College, 17% of men die within five years after a single, uncomplicated heart attack; 71% die after a more serious attack or a succession of attacks. After five years on Premarin, the corresponding death rates were 7% and 27%. But dosage is critical. Dr. Stamler warned against giving Premarin within three months after a heart attack, advocated building up in stages after that from 1.25 mg. to 5 mg. a day. Los Angeles' Dr. Jessie Marmorston reported that she got good results (TIME, June 15, 1959) without ever going over 1.25 mg., and that on this small dose her patients are not noticeably feminized. But Dr. Stamler insisted that bigger doses are necessary, and some feminizing is unfortunately unavoidable.

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