Short-term effect of tibolone on C-reactive protein in hypertensive postmenopausal women

To evaluate the effects of tibolone on the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in hypertensive postmenopausal women.

We enrolled 45 postmenopausal patients with hypertension and 17 normotensive postmenopausal women. Inclusion criteria were surgical menopause, the presence of vasomotor symptoms, and normal mammogram within 1 year, the absence of documented coronary artery disease, and normal electrocardiography. Forty hypertensive women and 17 normotensive women completed the 3-month period. Twenty-one hypertensive women received tibolone, whereas 19 served as control. At baseline and at 3 months, blood lipids and CRP were evaluated.

Changes in lipid profile and CRP in the hypertensive and normotensive control groups during 3 months were not statistically significant. Total cholesterol levels decreased significantly after 3 months of tibolone treatment. A significant increase in CRP values was observed in the tibolone group (p=0.001).

This trial demonstrated that tibolone treatment induced a significant increase in CRP and a significant decrease in total cholesterol in postmenopausal hypertensive women.