Low dose continuous oral and transdermal hormone therapy and effects on biochemical marker for vascular tone and inflammation

Objectives: To compare the effect of low-dose transdermal estradiol (E2)/norethisterone acetate (NETA) patches (Estalis 25/125) with low-dose oral E2/NETA (Activelle) in terms of cardiovascular biochemical markers after 12 and 52 weeks of treatment in postmenopausal women with intact uteri. Methods: Patients were randomized to receive either transdermal E2/NETA (delivering daily doses of E2 25µg and NETA 125µg; applied every 3–4 days) or oral E2/NETA (E2 1mg and NETA 0.5mg; given daily) in this open-label study. Assessment of the following markers or their stable metabolites in serum or urine: P-selectin, ICAM–1…