Transdermic estrogens share many of the oral estrogens cardiovascular effects, but so far there are no studies proving that they have a cardioprotective effect neither in animals nor in human beings. The doubt is outlined moreover, when most of the investigations performed with oral estrogens in animals show an antiatherogenic effect, while the few experimental studies that hare been carried out with estrogen patches show contradictory results. We will have to wait for more extensive clinical trials to be able to know if the transdennic estrogens are really cardioprotective, however if we want to achieve some cardiovascular risk improvement with the current knowledge we will probably have to support the use of oral estrogens. (Rev Méd Chile 2001; 129: 433-40)