The effect of continuous oestradiol with intermittent norgestimate on bone mineral density and bone turnover in post-menopausal women.

Objective: To assess in post-menopausal women the efficacy and tolerability of a continuous oestradiol/intermittent norgestimate HRT regimen to prevent and to reverse post-menopausal loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and to determine the effects on serum bone turnover markers markers.

Methods: A 1-year, multicentre, international, placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind clinical trial was conducted in 146 post-menopausal women with an intact uterus in order to assess the effect on bone loss of continuous oral 17beta-oestradiol (1 mg per day) combined with norgestimate (90 microg per day), for 3 consecutive days out of every 6-day treatment period (E2/iNGM). During a second year extension, all women agreeing to continue were on the E2/iNGM regimen.

National differences in lipid response to postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.

Objective: To compare the response of serum lipids and lipoproteins to the transdermal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in five European countries.

Methods: Five-hundred and sixty-seven healthy postmenopausal women from Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK received transdermal estradiol 50 microg daily for 12 months. In addition, two groups received transdermally norethisterone acetate (NETA) continuously, two groups sequentially (170 or 350 microg/day); one group received sequentially oral NETA (1 mg/day), and one group dydrogestrone (20 mg/day).