Effects of short-time (3 months) tibolone treatment on bone turnover in postmenopausal women

This study was planned to elucidate the effects of tibolone on bone biochemistry parameters in postmenopausal women at 3 month intervals. There were 56 healthy postmenopausal women enrolled in the study. The women had not received hormone replacement therapy (HRT) previously. Tibolone (2.5 mg/day) was prescribed for 3 months. Serum osteocalcin, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urine calcium, phosphorus creatinine, deoxypyridinoline were measured, and physical examinations were performed at the onset and at the end of the study. The mean serum osteocalcin level and deoxypyridinoline/creatinine (DPD/cr) ratio both decreased significantly (50.3% and 22.9%; P=0.012 and P=0.001, respectively). The slight decreases in serum alkaline phosphatase (4.5%) and urine calcium (13.6%) levels were not statistically significant. There was a positive correlation between DPD/cr and urine calcium ( r=0.66, P=0.001). We conclude that bone formation may be increased early by tibolone after short-term administration.