Do estrogens improve bone mass in osteoporotic women over ten years of menopause

A retrospective analysis of 24 patients with established osteoporosis and with ten or more years of menopause treated with conjugated estrogen, progesterone and calcium followed for one year has been performed. Treated women received 0.625 mg/day of conjugated estrogen from day 1 to 25, 5 mg/day of medroxiprogesterone from day 13 to 25, of each cycle, plus calcium (500-1000 mg/day), during one year (12 cycles). As control group was used 18 age-matched that received only calcium (500 a 1000 mg/day). All patients had at least two dual-photon spine and proximal femur (neck, Ward's triangle and trocanter) densities measurements performed 12 months apart. Estrogen treatment was associated with increased bone mineral density at spine and trocanter. Control group did not present any statistically change after one year in any site studied. We concluded that women with ten or more years of menopause and established osteoporosis treated with replacement hormonal therapy and calcium results in improvement of bone mineral density. These data support that women with ten or more years of menopause respond to estrogen replacement therapy with absolute increments in bone density similar to those seen in younger women, in the early menopause.