Dose-response effects on serum lipids and lipoproteins following combined oestrogen-progestogen therapy in post-menopausal women.

The dose-response effects on serum lipids and lipoproteins were studied in 87 healthy post-menopausal women treated for 1 yr with three different doses of sequential oestrogen/progestogen (4 mg, 2 mg and 1 mg 17 beta-oestradiol cyclically combined with 1 mg norethisterone acetate) or placebo. Total serum cholesterol levels were significantly reduced by 4-10% (P less than 0.05-P less than 0.001) in a dose-related way in the hormone groups. This was mainly caused by a similar reduction in low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, whereas the changes in high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were not significantly different from those observed in the placebo group. It is concluded that treatment with sequentially combined oestrogen and progestogen, using norethisterone acetate in combination with 17 beta-oestradiol in clinically relevant doses, does not produce any adverse effects on serum lipids or lipoproteins.