Plasma concentration of estrogen in postmenopausal women receiving oral estrogen therapy and transdermal

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine estrogen plasmatic levels and clinical effects after oral and transdermal estrogen administration to postmenopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal, deliberate intervention, sequential, crossed and simpleblinded study. Group 1 (n=22) consisted of two cycles of oral treatment and two cycles of transdermal. Group 2 (n=25), inverse sequence. Three estradiol measurements: basal, at 8 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: The estradiol (E2) plasmatic levels were greater in the oral therapy than in the transdermal; in both cases E2 did not return to basal levels after 7 days of treatment conclusion; the clinical improvement is independent of estrogen administration. CONCLUSION: Better levels are achieved with natural conjugated estrogens than with 17betaestradiol. The period without treatment after each cycle must be rol than 7 days.