Raloxifene decreases serum malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels in postmenopausal women with end-stage renal disease under chronic hemodialysis therapy

Aim:  We prospectively aimed to investigate the relationship between raloxifene administration and serum malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women undergoing hemodialysis treatment for chronic renal failure. Methods:  Twenty-four women scheduled for twice-weekly hemodialysis treatment were given 60 mg/day raloxifene for 3 months. Serum MDA, estimated NO, HDL, and LDL measurements were assessed initially and at month 3. We used the Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for comparisons. Five women discontinued the study. Results:  After controlling for baseline characteristics, mean serum MDA and estimated NO levels decreased (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0001, respectively) from 2.01 ± 0.40 µmol/L and 21.3 ± 17.9 µmol/L at baseline to 1.27 ± 0.23 µmol/L and 7.7 ± 7.5 µmol/L at month 3, respectively. Mean serum LDL level declined (P = 0.004) from 120.0 ± 24.3 mg/dL to 103.3 ± 12.1 mg/dL, and mean HDL level increased (P = 0.024) from 52.2 ± 7.8 mg/dL to 57.2 ± 5.7 mg/dL with raloxifene administration. Conclusion:  Oral raloxifene administration (60 mg/day) for 3 months lowered serum MDA and NO levels with favorable effects on serum lipid parameters in postmenopausal women, who were undergoing long-term hemodialysis treatment for chronic renal failure.