The effect of estrogen therapy on somatic and psychical symptoms in postmenopausal women

The effect of oral estrogen replacement therapy upon somatic and psychical disturbances and sexuality was studied in a double-blind investigation in 48 postmenopausal women using hormone preparations with two different levels of micronized estradiol-17 beta (E2) as active estrogen component. The patients were treated for 8 months in four 2-month periods with two preparations containing 1-2 mg of E2 (TrisekvensR and EstrofemR), with one preparation containing 1-4 mg of E2 (TrisekvensR forte) and with a placebo preparation. Investigations performed before and during treatment included general clinical chemical analysis, serum levels of FSH, LH and E2 and evaluation of the patients' somatic and psychical disturbances and sexuality. The patients were classified into three subgroups according to their pretreatment scores for mental distress and/or depression: severe (group I), moderate (group II), or no (group III) mental distress and/or depression. No significant differences between the three subgroups were found in pretreatment values from the general clinical chemical analysis or the hormone assays. Estrogen treatment significantly reduced S-total cholesterol values in all three subgroups; otherwise no significant effects were revealed by the general clinical chemical analysis. During the period of optimal wellbeing, serum E2 levels corresponded to luteal phase values. The gonadotropin levels, although depressed by approx. 50%, were still within the postmenopausal range. There were no significant differences between the two subgroups in hormone levels obtained during optimal estrogen treatment. Twenty-one patients had the best test results when treated with the larger dose (TrisekvensR forte) and 23 with the smaller dose (TrisekvensR and EstrofemR) and 4 during placebo treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)