title: Two hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimens for middle-eastern postmenopausal women.
abstract: Most previous studies designed to evaluate the efficacy of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been carried out in Europe, North America and Australia, involving Caucasian women for 6 months or less.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 12-month effects of two different HRT regimens on postmenopausal symptoms of Middle-Eastern women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hundred healthy Libyan women with postmenopausal symptoms, 12 months or more since their last menstrual period, were enrolled in a 12-month prospective study. Participants were randomly prescribed one of the two formulations, 50 in each group. These regimens were a continuous regimen of tibolone 2.5 mg oral tablets and a continuous regimen of 17beta-oestradiol sequentially combined with dydrogesterone (2/10 mg) oral tablets. The presence and severity of short- and intermediate-term symptoms were reported at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment. Observed symptoms were hot flushes, night sweating, palpitations, insomnia, depression, nervousness, loss of memory, vaginal dryness, loss of libido and joint pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine women (98%) in each group completed the 12-month study period. Participants, in the two groups, experienced a significant improvement within the first 3 months of treatment. The observed symptoms were completely relived by the sixth month without any significant difference between the two groups. Improvements were sustained over the 12-month period of the study. HRT users showed their acceptance to the two regimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tibolone and 17beta-oestradiol/dydrogesterone oral tablets were effective and safe to treat short- and intermediate-term symptoms in Middle-Eastern postmenopausal women, within 6 months, and with no significant differences between the groups. Thus, the use of HRT to relieve menopausal symptoms is highly recommended, at least in this region.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
authors.forename: Abdulbaset
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elfituri
authors.forename: Fathi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sherif
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elmahaishi
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chrystyn
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004394:Dydrogesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008002:Libya; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D009652:Norpregnenes; D004958:Estradiol; D004394:Dydrogesterone; C027385:tibolone