[Current status of hormone therapy during the menopausal transition and post-menopause].

Starting from prospective clinical studies that have evaluated its benefits and risks, hormone replacement therapy in menopause women has been reassessed in its indications in the last four years. In October, 2004 a Latinamerican Experts Consensus was carried out, such report with some modifications is presented in this publication. The conclusions the experts reached were the following: 1) Hormone Therapy is the gold standard for the control of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms; 2) this therapy must be indicated in an individual manner and only in symptomatic women in which the benefit is greater than the risk; 3) the least effective dose must be used; 4) it must be used neither for cardiovascular prevention, osteoporosis, colon cancer nor for mental disorder; 5) the patient must be informed about the benefits and risks.

Age at menopause in Latin America.

Objective: To assess the age at menopause (AM) in Latin America urban areas.

Design: A total of 17,150 healthy women, aged 40 to 59 years, accompanying patients to healthcare centers in 47 cities of 15 Latin American countries, were surveyed regarding their age, educational level, healthcare coverage, history of gynecological surgery, smoking habit, presence of menses, and the use of contraception or hormone therapy at menopause. The AM was calculated using logit analysis.

A 13-month multicenter clinical experience of a low-dose monophasic oral contraceptive containing 20 microg ethinylestradiol and 75 microg gestodene in Latin American women.

This prospective, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the contraceptive reliability, cycle control and tolerability of a 21-day oral contraceptive regimen containing 20 microg ethinylestradiol and 75 microg gestodene in four Latin American countries (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia). Participants took trial medication daily for 21 days. Contraceptive efficacy, cycle control and tolerability were evaluated over a period of 13 cycles.

Comparison of the effect of raloxifene and continuous-combined hormone therapy on mammographic breast density and breast tenderness in postmenopausal women.

Objective: The objectives were to evaluate mammographic changes in breast density that are associated with raloxifene or hormone therapy and to compare the safety profiles of the two therapies.

Study Design: Postmenopausal women older than 60 years who had a bone mineral density T-score of < or =-1 were assigned randomly to receive raloxifene hydrochloride 60 mg/day or continuous-combined hormone therapy that consisted of conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg/day plus medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.

Reversal by medical treatment of endometrial hyperplasia caused by estrogen replacement therapy.

Objective: Endometrial hyperplasia, an entity considered a precursor to endometrial carcinoma, frequently develops in women receiving unopposed estrogens. Progestins used concomitantly with estrogens can largely prevent endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. However, the ability of progestins to reverse endometrial hyperplasia induced by estrogens is less well recognized.

Use of a new transdermal delivery system for estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.

This study reports on the use of a new transdermal delivery system for estrogen replacement therapy. This was a 12 week open multicenter trial using patches that delivered 0.05 mg/24 hour of 17 beta-estradiol applied twice weekly, every 72 hours, with one week interval after each 3 weeks.

Sequential use of conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone in the climacteric syndrome: clinical and histological findings.

Seventy-four symptomatic postmenopausal women received conjugated equine estrogens, 0.625 mg daily, alternating 3 wk of treatment with 1 wk free. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, 10 mg daily, was added from day 12 to day 21 of the estrogen therapy.

Endometrial cancer and its precursors: a comparison of histological and clinical features.

In this study, the histological definition of endometrial cancer precursor (ECP) lesions is discussed and a comparison is made of clinical and histological parameters of ECP patients and endometrial cancer (EC) patients. ECP lesions were divided in 3 types: adenomatous hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and in situ adenocarcinoma. The following parameters were analyzed: age, menopausal status, gynecological and extragynecological familiar cancer incidence, other cancers in the proband, diabetes, obesity, primary infertility, fertility and previous estrogen therapy.

[Use of a new steroid (Org OD 14) in the climacteric syndrome].

A double-blind study was carried out in 60 women with climacteric symptoms: 30 women were given Org OD 14 (2.5 mg) and 30 were given a placebo to be taken daily for six weeks. The effects of the medication on the climacteric symptoms, the subjective sensations, the plasma FSH levels and endometrial histology were studied.

Bromocriptine in the treatment of hyperolactinemic amenorrhea.

Thirty women with secondary amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia were studied; galactorrhea was present in 25 of them, and 18 were infertile. Serum prolactin (PRL) levels were high in all cases, between 26 and 120 ng/ml. All women were treated with bromocriptine in increasing doses from 2.

Plasma levels of norepinephrine during the periovulatory period in normal women. Further studies.

Eleven normally cycling women in whom laparotomy was indicated for benign gynecologic pathology were studied. Surgery was performed on day 0 (expected day of ovulation). Blood samples were drawn daily from day -8 to day -4, and every 8 hours from day -3 to day +2; estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), norepinephrine (NE), and LH were determined by RIA.

Plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) during the periovulatory period and after LH-RH stimulation in women.

In three normally cycling women studied daily from day 10 to 17 of the menstrual cycle, the levels of circulating norepinephrine showed a sharp rise preceding or concomitantly with the ovulatory LH surge. In two patients the norepinephrine peak took place 24 hr. previously to the LH rise and in the third one it occurred simultaneously.

[Treatment of the anovulatory sterility with LH-RH (author's transl)].

Thirthy one infertile women with different forms of anovulation were treated with LH-RH on various schemes of application: continuous intravenous (i.v.) infusion, intramuscular (i.