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Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis: Does the Future Belong to Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Author(s) -
Gibaldi Milo
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1997.tb04292.x
Subject(s) - medicine , osteoporosis , raloxifene , endometrial cancer , estrogen , menopause , breast cancer , hormone replacement therapy (female to male) , disease , endocrinology , oncology , cancer , tamoxifen , testosterone (patch)
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) after menopause prevents the development of osteoporosis and reduces the risk of fracture. Other potential benefits are cardioprotection—probably related to the effects of estrogen on lipid profile and fibrinogen levels—and a delay in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and perhaps amelioration of the disease. ERT, however, increases the risk of endometriosis and endometrial cancer unless given with a progestin for at least 10 days per menstrual cycle. It also results in a small but real increase in breast cancer. Alendronate, a bisphosphonate, is the first serious competitor of conjugated equine estrogen for the treatment of osteoporosis. Nearing FDA approval are so‐called designer estrogens (e.g., raloxifene), which may selectively prevent osteoporosis with little or no effects on endometrial and breast tissue.