Do heavier women benefit from a higher dose of leuprolide acetate for suppression of serum estradiol?
OBJECTIVE
To determine if heavier women benefit from a higher dose of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue leuprolide acetate (LA) depot in terms of suppression of serum estradiol.


METHODS
This was a retrospective analysis of the effect of LA depot 3.75 mg and 7.5 mg on serum estradiol from a multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, 12-week study of women with anemia due to bleeding from uterine leiomyomata. Serum estradiol levels were obtained at baseline and at week 12. Patients were divided into weight quartiles according to their baseline weight in kilograms: 46-<64, 64-<72, 72-<89, 89-159 (pounds-102-<140, 140-<159, 159-<196, 196-350).


RESULTS
At baseline there was no statistically significant difference in estradiol level between groups as a whole or within weight quartiles. Within each group there was no relationship between weight and baseline estradiol. At week 12, whereas estradiol levels were significantly greater in the heavier patients in each of the groups (LA 3.75 mg, p = 0.044; LA 7.5 mg, p = 0.002), there was no significant difference in estradiol between groups as a whole or within any of the weight quartiles. Moreover, at week 12 there was no significant difference between groups in the percentage of patients with estradiol suppressed to the menopausal range.


CONCLUSIONS
Heavier women do not benefit from a higher dose of LA depot (7.5 vs. 3.75 mg) for suppression of serum levels of estradiol.
Muneyyirci-Delale
O
O
Department of Obstretics and Gynecology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, 11203, USA.
Weisberg
G W
GW
D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001835:Body Weight; D002641:Chicago; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009519:New York City; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016387:Women's Health
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004958:Estradiol; D016729:Leuprolide