Lipid changes after hormone replacement therapy for menopause

Three regimens of hormone replacement therapy were administered to 62 postmenopausal women for a period of 12 weeks and evaluated for their effect on blood lipids. Each group was given a continuous dose of 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogens combined with either a continuous dose of 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate or 5.0 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate, or a cyclic dose of 5.0 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate on days 17-28 of the cycle. After treatment there was a significant decrease in the total cholesterol (P less than .0007) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P less than .0001) together with a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P less than .0029). There was no significant difference in the response of the blood lipids to the three hormone groups. Therefore, preference would depend on the combination that caused the least bleeding or amenorrhea.