Exercise-associated amenorrhea, low bone density, and estrogen replacement therapy.
BACKGROUND
Women with exercise-associated amenorrhea have a higher frequency of osteoporosis than eumenorrheic runners and sedentary women. The use of hormone replacement therapy was suggested many years ago to increase bone density in exercising women with amenorrhea and low bone density.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if hormone replacement therapy increased bone density in women with exercise-associated amenorrhea.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective clinical study comparing the changes in bone density in 8 women runners who took hormone replacement therapy with 5 who refused medication but who were followed up as controls over 24 to 30 months.


RESULTS
Vertebral and femoral neck bone density significantly increased by 8.0% +/- 1.2% (+/- SEM) and 4.1% +/- 0.3% (+/- SEM), respectively, in 8 women runners with amenorrhea taking 24 to 30 months of estrogen replacement therapy with progestational support. Control women not taking replacement therapy had nonsignificant decreases of less than 2.5% at each site.


CONCLUSIONS
Hormone replacement therapy appears to increase bone density in amenorrheic runners.
Cumming
D C
DC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton. dcumming@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D004958:Estradiol; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate