The effectiveness of hormone in relieving menopausal symptoms

To assess the effectiveness of hormone replacement in relieving menopausal symptoms, 75 natural menopausal women suffering from these symptoms were recruited for this double-blind, placebo controlled study. These women were randomized into 2 groups. In the first eight weeks, the first group received a sequential regimen of Estradiol valerate 2 mg/day for 21 days and Norgestrel 0.5 mg/day from day 12 to 21, with seven days of drug-free interval, for two cycles. In the last eight weeks, placebo was given in the same fashion. In the second group, placebo was given in the first eight weeks, then hormone in the last eight weeks. The menopausal scores were recorded by the patients at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16. Sixty women completed the 16 week study, of which there were 30 women in each group. The mean menopausal score by eight weeks decreased significantly in the first group compared to the pretreatment value (The scores at week 0 and 8 = 20.03 and 12.63 respectively, p < 0.05). However, there was no significant change of the score in the second group. (The scores at week 0 and 8 = 21.20 and 19.43 respectively, p > 0.05). After switching from hormone to placebo in the first group, there was no significant change in mean menopausal score (The scores at week 8 and 16 = 12.63 and 13.73 respectively, p > 0.05). Nevertheless, when switching from placebo to hormone in the second group, the score decreased significantly. (The scores at week 8 and 16 = 19.43 and 13.20 respectively, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the beneficial effects of hormone replacement in relieving menopausal symptoms.