Short-term effects of two continuous combined oestrogen–progestogen therapies on several cardiovascular risk markers in healthy postmenopausal women: A randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveTo compare the short-term effects of two oral continuous combined oestrogen–progestogen treatment regimens on blood concentrations of several cardiovascular risk markers in healthy postmenopausal women.Study designIn a 12-week randomised controlled study, 48 healthy non-hysterectomised postmenopausal women, aged 41–58 years, received either no treatment (control group; n = 16), or daily oral continuous combined treatment with 1 mg micronised 17β-oestradiol plus 5 mg dydrogesterone (E/D group; n = 18) or 0.625 mg conjugated equine oestrogens plus 5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (CEE/MPA group; n = 14).Fasting blood sampling was performed at baseline and after 12 weeks of follow-up.ResultsCompared with the control group, 12-week treatment with E/D or CEE/MPA reduced fibrinogen (−7.7%, p = 0.004 and −3.3%, p = 0.083, respectively), factor VII-act (−8.7%, p = 0.14 and −9.7%, p = 0.06, respectively), homocysteine (−20.5%, p = 0.02 and −26.7%, p = 0.005, respectively), and IGF-1 (−27.9%, p < 0.001 and −18.1%, p = 0.002, respectively), but increased factor VII-ag (+10.1%, p = 0.03 and +4.4%, p = 0.46, respectively), endothelin-1 (+15.2%, p = 0.12 and +20.0%, p = 0.13, respectively) and C-reactive protein (+88.8%, p = 0.18 and +71.0%, p = 0.44, respectively). Fibrinolytic factors were not affected by either hormone therapy (HT).ConclusionsShort-term oral continuous combined therapy with oestradiol/dydrogesterone and conjugated equine oestrogens/medroxyprogesterone acetate had comparable effects on the investigated cardiovascular risk markers.