V. Deleo et al., TRANSDERMAL ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN NORMAL PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - EFFECTS ON PITUITARY-OVARIAN FUNCTION, Gynecological endocrinology, 10(1), 1996, pp. 49-53
The effects of 6 months of hormone replacement therapy by transdermal
estradiol patches (0.05 mg/day for 21 days) and oral progestogens (10
mg/day for 10 days) on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function was eva
luated in 32 perimenopausal women, aged 42-47 years, with irregular an
ovulatory cycles and menopausal symptoms. Hormone levels evaluated on
the 8th and 24th day of the cycle preceding therapy showed follicle-st
imulating hormone (FSH) levels above 15 mIU/ml, estradiol less than 45
pg/ml and progesterone less than 800 pg/ml. During therapy, there was
an improvement in menopausal symptoms, a decrease in luteinizing horm
one (LH) and FSH levels, an increase in estradiol levels and the trans
dermal patches were well tolerated. Ar the end of therapy, 19 women co
ntinued to have regular ovulatory cycles with progesterone levels simi
lar to those in luteal phase. FSH and LH concentrations were significa
ntly lower than before therapy. This study shows that hormone replacem
ent therapy not only improves menopausal symptoms but may also restore
the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function.