title: Selective estrogen receptor modulators: the future in menopausal treatment.
abstract: The results of hormone therapy (HT) studies have changed the perception of HT benefits and risks. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) represent drugs with a tissue-specific estrogen receptor agonist/antagonist activity and they are an alternative to HT. Each SERM stimulates and blocks different genes with different biological responses. Established SERMs or second generation are tamoxifen and raloxifene. Both SERMs have positive effects on breast, bone and lipids, but with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism and hot flushes. None of these SERMs has shown a preventive effect on non-vertebral fractures. At present, there is a new generation of SERMs (third generation: bazedoxifene, lasofoxifene and ospemifene) which has completed phase III clinical trials and has been submitted to the Health Regulatory Authorities for approval. A new concept, tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC), has the potential to demonstrate the benefits of SERMs along with the additional benefits of estrogens. A long road to the ideal SERM still remains, but new SERMs represent an attractive new menopause treatment.
authors.affiliation: DPalacios Institute of Woman's Health Madrid, Spain. ipalacios@institutopalacios.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palacios
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; C111332:Lasofoxifene; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; C447119:bazedoxifene