A randomized trial of oral contraceptive and hormone replacement therapy on bone mineral density and coronary heart disease risk factors in postmenopausal women

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Abstract
Objective: To identify the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on bone mineral density and coronary heart disease risk factors in postmenopausal women. Methods: Eighty healthy postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to a cyclic regimen of OC containing 30 μg of ethinyl estradiol and 150 μg of desogestrel or HRT containing 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogens 21 days per cycle and 5 mg of medrogestone 10 days per cycle for 12 months. Bone mineral density of lumbar spine and hip, biochemical markers of bone turnover, lipid-lipoprotein profiles, coagulation profiles, fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure were evaluated. Results: Both regimens caused significant increase in bone mineral density of lumbar spine, trochanter, intertrochanteric region, total hip, and Ward triangle. Only OC therapy was associated with a significant increase in femoral neck bone mineral density (mean score ± standard error 2.5% ± 0.7%, P < .01). Biochemical markers of bone turnover, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly in both groups. Posttreatment levels of those bone markers and lipid-lipoprotein were significantly lower after OC therapy than HRT. Fasting plasma glucose and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in both groups; however, only the OC group showed a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: Both OC and HRT increased bone mineral density of lumbar spine and hip, but OC suppressed bone turnover more than HRT. Both methods favorably affected lipid-lipoprotein metabolism, fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure during the 12 months of treatment.

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