Assessment by quantitative ultrasonometry of the effects of hormone replacement therapy on bone mass

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of hormone repl acement therapy on results of quantitative ultrasonometry of the heel. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 2006 healthy perimenopausal women (mean age, 52.2 (10.3 years) were recruited in 5 German centers: 611 women (30%) had receiv ed hormone replacement therapy and 1395 (70%) had not. About 90% of the hor mone replacement therapy users were current users, and the rest had stopped <6 months before the study. Speed of sound, broadband ultrasonographic att enuation, and the stiffness index were compared among the following groups: all users and nonusers of hormone replacement therapy, hormone replacement therapy users and nonuser control subjects matched for age and body mass i ndex, and hormone replacement therapy users grouped in relation to the dura tion of hormone replacement therapy use and age and control subjects matche d for body mass index. RESULTS: Women who were using hormone replacement therapy had significantly higher values (P <.001) than did nonusers for all ultrasonographic variabl es, even after we controlled for age and body mass index. Women who had use d hormone replacement therapy for >3 years had significantly higher values (P <.001) than did matched control subjects for all variables. Differences increased with the duration of hormone replacement therapy use. CONCLUSION: Quantitative ultrasonometric measurement at the heel differenti ates hormone replacement therapy users from nonusers, reflects duration of hormone replacement therapy use, and could be useful in both clinical trial s and patient management.