title: Relationships of serum estradiol levels, menopausal duration, and mood during hormonal replacement therapy.
abstract: A study was undertaken in 38 menopausal women on-cyclic HRT (estropipate) and estropipate + nor-ethindrone). Serum estradiol levels during treatment were related to mood changes and platelet MAO activity. The relationship between serum estradiol levels and mood changes was found to be a function of the duration of menopause. Women with a short duration of menopause (12.9 months +/- 6.1) were compared to women with a long duration of menopause (76.6 months +/- 52.3). Women with a short duration of menopause had significantly lower mean serum estradiol levels during HRT compared to women with a long duration of menopause (216.9 +/- 62.3 vs. 291.13 +/- 118.12, respectively, p < .02). It had previously been reported that estrogen treatment in menopausal women had a positive effect on mood, whereas the combination of estrogen plus a progestin had a negative effect on mood. We found that the women with a long duration of menopause and higher treatment serum estradiol levels had significantly more dysphoria when receiving a combination of estrogen plus progestin than did the women with a short duration of menopause and lower serum estradiol levels. However, both short and long duration menopausal groups showed improvement in mood when estrogen was administered alone. Platelet MAO levels, a marker of adrenergic and serotonergic function thought to relate to mood, were negatively correlated with serum estradiol levels during HRT. We suggest that these paradoxical findings may be secondary to a prolonged estrogen deficiency state in women with a long duration of menopause.
authors.affiliation: Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research, Shrewsbury, MA, USA.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Klaiber
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Broverman
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Snyder
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood; D011372:Progestins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011372:Progestins; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase