COMPARISON OF LIPID AND ANDROGEN LEVELS AFTER CONJUGATED ESTROGEN OR DEPO-MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE TREATMENT IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (2) , 216-219
Abstract
Thirty-five women who had undergone a natural or surgical menopause were randomized to receive either 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogen to be ingested for 25 days each month or 150 mg of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate i.m. every 3 mo. Plasma lipids were determined before and after 1 yr of therapy. Serum androgens were measured before and after 6 mo. of therapy. Conjugated estrogens and depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate had similar effects on plasma lipids. Cholesterol was decreased (P < 0.02 for conjugated estrogen therapy and P < 0.01 for depo-medroxyprogesteorne acetate therapy), as was low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.02 for conjugated estrogen and P < 0.05 for depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate). Conjugated estrogens also significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.02). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were unchanged after depomedroxyprogesterone acetate therapy. Serum androgens were generally unchanged after depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate or conjugated estrogen therapy. Apparently, long-term conjugated estrogen and depomedroxyprogesterone acetate treatment have similar effects on lipid and androgen levels except that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was not significantly increased by depomedroxyprogesterone acetate.