Computer Aided Comparative Study of Bleeding Patterns in Postmenopausal Women Treated With Combined Estrogen-Progestin Therapy versus Estrogen Monotherapy

Abstract

In order to study the efficiency of various postmenopausal hormone replacement regimens, we compared the bleeding patterns obtained following the administration of estrogen monotherapy and continuous or sequential estrogen-progestin therapy, in doses that counteract the vasomotor syndrome of menopause, in a group of 133 postmenopausal women. Continuous combined therapy decreases the incidence of unwanted bleeding; sequential combined therapy provides adequate control of menstrual cyclicity. Conjugated equine estrogen monotherapy increases the rate of irregular bleeding and the frequency of endometrial hyperplasia.