A cross-sectional study of the effects of long-term percutaneous hormone replacement therapy on bone density

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis, a reduction in the quantity of bone tissue, frequently occurs in postmenopausal women and elderly men. It is a common cause of death and disability in these population groups. The severity of osteoporosis is usually greater in postmenopausal women than in elderly men. Hormone replacement therapy has proven effective in preventing rapid bone loss during menopause. This study examined the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy on bone loss following menopause. Bone densities were measured in 110 postmenopausal women who had received long-term (at least two years) estrogen therapy via an implant and in 254 untreated postmenopausal women. Bone density of the spine was significantly higher in the treated group than in the untreated group (1.123 versus 0.951 grams of hydroxyapatite per centimeter squared or gHa/cm2). Bone density of the femur was significantly greater in the treated group (1.002 versus 0.914 gHa/cm2) as well. Bone density was preserved in those treated with estrogen, and was lost at a rate of 1.5 percent at the spine and 1.0 percent at the femur per year in the untreated group. Differences in bone density at the neck of the femur, Ward triangle, and the lumbar spine became significant by age 55. The results indicate that percutaneous hormone replacement prevented osteoporosis in postmenopausal women for as long as the therapy was continued. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Hormone therapy, Menopause

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The relationship between plasma estradiol and the increase in bone density in postmenopausal women after treatment with subcutaneous hormone implants

Article Abstract:

Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is known to prevent the development of osteoporosis (a disease in which bone mass is lost), but the optimal estrogen dose and method of administration are not known. To learn more about this issue, 23 postmenopausal women (average age, 52) received hormone implants consisting of 75 milligrams estradiol (an estrogen) and 100 milligrams testosterone (a male hormone). The implants were replaced after six months, and again after one year. Bone density was determined in a vertebra and in the neck of the femur (the bone of the upper leg that forms part of the hip joint) at the start of the study, and one year later. Results showed that 22 patients developed increased bone density after one year in both bones evaluated. The increases averaged 8.3 percent for the vertebra, and 2.8 percent for the femoral neck. The increases in vertebral density were correlated with the levels of estradiol in blood. No correlations were seen for testosterone levels. The positive effect of estradiol was seen even for women who were many years past the menopause, and regardless of the initial density. Implants or transdermal patches, worn on the skin, provide higher blood levels of estradiol than oral preparations, and are probably the safest way to deliver enough estrogen for a positive effect on bone mass. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Measurement, Testosterone, Postmenopausal women, Estradiol

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Effects of LY-117018 HCl on bone remodeling and mineral density in the oophorectomized rat

Article Abstract:

An experimental estrogen receptor modulator may prevent the loss of bone density that can occur after menopause, without stimulating the uterus to grow. Many women take estrogen or related drugs after menopause to prevent hot flashes, osteoporosis, and other conditions. Researchers compared the effects of an estrogen hormone with LY-117018 HCl, a new agent, on rats with surgically-removed ovaries. Ovary removal, simulating menopause, caused a decrease in bone density. Both drugs prevented the loss of bone, but the estrogen agent caused the uterus to thicken and the rats to gain weight.

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