Short-term effects of hormone therapy on serum C-reactive protein levels in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tibolone and conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) (CEE + MPA) on levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, in postmenopausal women.

STUDY DESIGN

In this prospective randomized study, we randomly assigned 58 healthy postmenopausal women to CEE (0.625 mg/day) plus MPA (2.5 mg/day) (CEE + MPA) or tibolone (2.5 mg/day). The serum levels of CRP at 3 months after starting treatment were compared with baseline values for both therapies.

RESULTS

After 3 months of treatment the median CRP levels increased by 29% in the CEE + MPA group and by 5% in the tibolone group. But, these changes did not have statistical significance (P=0.15, P=0.06, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that neither tibolone nor CEE + MPA caused significant changes in serum CRP levels in postmenopausal women. The potential impact of hormone therapy on serum CRP levels should be investigated in ongoing clinical trials.