Short-term effects of two continuous combined oestrogen-progestogen therapies on several cardiovascular risk markers in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomised controlled trial.

Author(s): de Kraker AT, Kenemans P, Smolders RG, Kroeks MV, van der Mooren MJ

Affiliation(s): Project Ageing Women and the Institute for Cardiovascular Research-Vrije Universiteit , VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Publication date & source: 2009-02, Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol., 142(2):139-44. Epub 2008 Dec 17.

Publication type: Comparative Study; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term effects of two oral continuous combined oestrogen-progestogen treatment regimens on blood concentrations of several cardiovascular risk markers in healthy postmenopausal women. STUDY DESIGN: In a 12-week randomised controlled study, 48 healthy non-hysterectomised postmenopausal women, aged 41-58 years, received either no treatment (control group; n=16), or daily oral continuous combined treatment with 1 mg micronised 17beta-oestradiol plus 5 mg dydrogesterone (E/D group; n=18) or 0.625 mg conjugated equine oestrogens plus 5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (CEE/MPA group; n=14). Fasting blood sampling was performed at baseline and after 12 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, 12-week treatment with E/D or CEE/MPA reduced fibrinogen (-7.7%, p=0.004 and -3.3%, p=0.083, respectively), factor VII-act (-8.7%, p=0.14 and -9.7%, p=0.06, respectively), homocysteine (-20.5%, p=0.02 and -26.7%, p=0.005, respectively), and IGF-1 (-27.9%, p<0.001 and -18.1%, p=0.002, respectively), but increased factor VII-ag (+10.1%, p=0.03 and +4.4%, p=0.46, respectively), endothelin-1 (+15.2%, p=0.12 and +20.0%, p=0.13, respectively) and C-reactive protein (+88.8%, p=0.18 and +71.0%, p=0.44, respectively). Fibrinolytic factors were not affected by either hormone therapy (HT). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term oral continuous combined therapy with oestradiol/dydrogesterone and conjugated equine oestrogens/medroxyprogesterone acetate had comparable effects on the investigated cardiovascular risk markers.