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Metabolic changes induced by peroral oestrogen and transdermal oestradiol gel therapy
Author(s) -
Karjalainen A.,
Heikkinen J.,
Savolainen M. J.,
Bäckström AC.,
Salinto M.,
Kesäniemi Y. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1997.tb11566.x
Subject(s) - transdermal , endocrinology , medicine , cholesterol , placebo , estradiol valerate , estrogen , hormone replacement therapy (female to male) , very low density lipoprotein , lipid profile , lipoprotein , chemistry , pharmacology , testosterone (patch) , pathology , alternative medicine
Objective To investigate changes in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels induced by peroral oestrogen replacement and transdermal oestradiol gel therapy. Design The effects of peroral oestradiol valerate tablets (2 mg) and placebo gel were compared with 1g transdermal oestradiol gel (1mg oestradiol) and placebo tablets in a randomised, double‐blind, double‐dummy study for 6 months. Setting Department of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu Deaconess Institute, Oulu, Finland. Population Seventy‐nine hysterectomised, postmenopausal women, 39 women in the peroral oestrogen group and 40 in the gel group. Main outcome measures Cholesterol and triglycerides in total plasma and in various lipoprotein fractions, and sex hormones. Results In the peroral oestrogen group total and LDL cholesterol were decreased and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were increased. In the oestradiol gel group plasma total, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and the ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol were significantly decreased, but no change in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides was observed. Overall the decrease in LDL levels was correlated with the increase in oestrogen levels. Conclusions Both peroral and transdermal replacement therapy had beneficial effects on plasma lipids by lowering total and LDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio. These changes seem to be associated with changes in oestrogen levels.