Objective: To investigate the effects of oral 17beta-estradiol administration continuously combined with dydrogesterone on fasting serum total homocysteine levels in postmenopausal women.
Design: Randomized, double-blind study.
Setting: Gynecologic outpatient department of a university hospital.
Patient(s): One hundred thirty-five healthy, nonhysterectomized postmenopausal women.
Intervention(s): Oral micronized 17beta-estradiol (2 mg/d) continuously combined with one of four dosages of dydrogesterone (2.5 mg [n = 41], 5 mg [n = 38], 10 mg [n = 37], or 15 mg [n = 19]) was given for 6 months.
Main outcome measure(s): Fasting serum total homocysteine concentrations.
Result(s): The mean fasting serum total homocysteine concentrations in the overall study population decreased significantly (by 13.5%) after the first 3 months of treatment and remained unchanged thereafter. No influence of dydrogesterone dosage was found. The greatest reduction in total homocysteine concentration was obtained in women with the highest baseline levels.
Conclusion(s): Continuously combined hormone replacement therapy lowers fasting serum total homocysteine levels significantly in postmenopausal women. This decrease may be one of the mechanisms that underlie the cardioprotective effects of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.