[Effect of long-term hormone substitution therapy on serum TSH level in postmenopausal women]

Dysfunction's of the thyroid gland are one of the most important endocrinological diseases. We report serum TSH levels in postmenopausal women before and during long-term hormone replacement therapy.

107 postmenopausal patients participated in this study. Criteria for inclusion were: no known thyroid dysfunction and request for hormone replacement. Before starting therapy TSH serum levels were measured in each patient. If basal levels were within normal range TSH serum levels were reported over 4 years of hormone replacement therapy.

More than 10% of the postmenopausal women showed pathological TSH-levels without clinical symptoms requiring further diagnostic. During subsequent treatment cycles (4 years) serum TSH in euthyroid patients did not show significant changes. Women using hormone replacement therapy developed no new manifestation of thyroid disease.

In euthyroid women using long-term hormone replacement therapy are no changes in thyroid function caused by hormone replacement therapy to expect.