[Clinical effects of hormone replacement therapy with estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate in perimenopausal women].
BACKGROUND
In perimenopause many women complain of psychogenic and organic disorders often connected with initial and increasing levels of hypoestrogenism. In this study we evaluated the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in symptomatic women in perimenopause.


METHODS
We enrolled 100 healthy and symptomatic women who were randomly distributed to two groups for a 12-month study. Group A: 50 patients received HRT with estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate (Pausene(R)); Group B: 50 patients were used as a control group (treated with Cacit Vitamin D30(R)). A number of clinical and instrumental tests were performed at 0, 6 and 12 months to evaluate any changes in vasomotor and urogenital symptoms, bone and serum homeostasis and possible sexual disorders. The statistical analysis was performed using the c2 test.


RESULTS
The group of women receiving HRT showed a significant reduction in vasomotor clinical symptoms (p<0.001) and sexual disorders (p<0.002); this was not reflected in the control group where libido decreased steadily with apparent slight improvements only at the end of the study. The urogenital disorders disappeared almost completely in Group A, whereas they diminished in Group B. HRT patients also showed a slight increase (p<0.001) in the initial value of BMD (bone mineral density), a reduction in the marker for bone turnover and an improved lipid profile (p<0.05). These changes were unfortunately not noted in Group B.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of these results we conclude that HRT appeared to have a beneficial effect on perimenopausal clinical symptoms over the 12-month period, leading to marked improvements in the psychophysical wellbeing of symptomatic women in perimenopause.
Tinelli
F G
FG
Unità Operativa di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia, Azienda Ospedaliera Vito Fazzi, Lecce, Italy.
Tinelli
A
A
Sena
T
T
D002979:Climacteric; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D045167:Progesterone Congeners / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D045167:Progesterone Congeners; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D004958:Estradiol