Effects of estrogen replacement therapy on symptoms and clinical parameters in post menopausal women

Abstract EN

Objective : To evaluate the effect of oral estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in healthy postmenopausal women on lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and blood glucose ; and on postmenopausal symptoms.

Subjects and Methods : This prospective cohort research was carried out over a period of eight months, from Jun 2007 to February of 2008.

Fifty six postmenopausal women (mean SD age of 53.3 ± 3 years ; mean menopausal period, 5 years) ; previously diagnosed by gynecologist were involved in this study.

Thirty six postmenopausal women were treated with oral conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) (premarin®) 0.625 mg daily for two months.

Twenty postmenopausal women were served as control and received daily dose of placebo.

Results : In postmenopausal women treated with conjugated equine estrogen, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were decreased significantly as compared with placebo, while there was no significant change in the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c).

In both groups, estrogen induced changes in plasma triglyceride and reduced the size of LDL particles.

These observations suggest that the plasma TG increase may reduce the size of LDL particle.

CEE lowered blood pressure, decreased fasting blood sugar and increased BMI of postmenopausal women.

Significant positive correlation was found between the BMI and total blood cholesterol whereas significantly negative correlation was found between the BMI and LDL of treated postmenopausal women.

CEE effectively alleviated bothersome symptoms of postmenopausal women such as hot flushes, night sweat and vaginal dryness.

Whereas, it has no detectable effects in attenuating bone pain.

Conclusion : CEE causes change in lipid profile, BMI, blood pressure and attenuates bothersome symptoms in postmenopausal women.