Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1973 Sep 8;3(5879):515–518. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5879.515

Oestrogen Replacement Therapy for Prevention of Osteoporosis after Oophorectomy

J M Aitken, D M Hart, R Lindsay
PMCID: PMC1586943  PMID: 4741605

Abstract

The value of oestrogen therapy in the prevention of osteoporosis after oophorectomy was assessed in 114 middle-aged women who participated in a double-blind controlled trial of mestranol in an average daily dose of 23 μg. The skeletal response to treatment was measured by a photon absorption technique. Where treatment was started within two months of operation subsequent bone mineral loss was prevented. Treatment started three years after oophorectomy caused a highly significant increase in bone mineral content. When treatment was delayed for six years mestranol failed to prevent subsequent bone mineral loss with age. These effects occurred independently of the associated humoral changes in calcium and phosphorus homoeostasis. Mestranol in this dosage appeared to be relatively safe, but it is too early to evaluate the long-term hazards of such therapy.

Full text

PDF
516

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aitken J. M., Armstrong E., Anderson J. B. Osteoporosis after oophorectomy in the mature female rat and the effect of oestrogen and-or progestogen replacement therapy in its prevention. J Endocrinol. 1972 Oct;55(1):79–87. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0550079. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aitken J. M., Hart D. M., Smith D. A. The effect of long-term mestranol administration on calcium and phosphorus homeostasis in oophorectomized women. Clin Sci. 1971 Sep;41(3):233–236. doi: 10.1042/cs0410233. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Aitken J. M., Lindsay R. The physiological regulation of the seasonal variations in phosphorus and calcium metabolism. J Physiol. 1972 Oct;226(2):93P–94P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Anderson J. B., Shimmins J., Smith D. A. A new technique for the measurement of metacarpal density. Br J Radiol. 1966 Jun;39(462):443–450. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-39-462-443. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Briggs E., Mack A., Taylor L., Browning J., Naismith L., Wilson E., Weir R. J. Blood-pressure in women after one year of oral contraception. Lancet. 1971 Mar 6;1(7697):467–470. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)91087-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DENT C. E. Some problems of hyperparathyroidism. Br Med J. 1962 Dec 1;2(5317):1419–1425. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5317.1419. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Davis M. E., Lanzl L. H., Strandjord N. M. Estrogens and the aging process. The detection, prevention, and retardation of osteoporosis. JAMA. 1966 Apr 18;196(3):219–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Di Paola G., Puchulu F., Robin M., Nicholson R., Marti M. Oral contraceptives and carbohydrate metabolism. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1968 May 15;101(2):206–216. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(68)90189-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Di Paola G., Robín M., Nicholson R. Estrogen therapy and glucose tolerance test. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1970 May 1;107(1):124–132. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)33900-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Drill V. A., Calhoun D. W. Oral contraceptives and thromboembolic disease. JAMA. 1968 Sep 30;206(1):77–84. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Drill V. A. Oral contraceptives and thromboembolic disease. I. Prospective and retrospective studies. JAMA. 1972 Jan 31;219(5):583–592. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. EISALO A., JAERVINEN P. A., LUUKKAINEN T. HEPATIC IMPAIRMENT DURING THE INTAKE OF CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS: CLINICAL TRIAL WITH POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. Br Med J. 1964 Aug 15;2(5406):426–427. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5406.426. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Eisalo A., Heino A., Räsänen V. Oestrogen, proestogen and liver function tests. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1968;47(1):58–65. doi: 10.3109/00016346809157466. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HENNEMAN P. H., WALLACH S. A review of the prolonged use of estrogens and androgens in postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis. AMA Arch Intern Med. 1957 Nov;100(5):715–723. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1957.00260110031005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. JASANI C., NORDIN B. E., SMITH D. A., SWANSON I. SPINAL OSTEOPOROSIS AND THE MENOPAUSE. Proc R Soc Med. 1965 Jun;58:441–444. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kurihara Y., Shibata K. Effect of cortisone and estradiol on growing bones of intact and parathyroidectomized rats. Gunma J Med Sci. 1966 Jun;15(2):121–130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LAFFERTY F. W., SPENCER G. E., Jr, PEARSON O. H. EFFECTS OF ANDROGENS, ESTROGENS AND HIGH CALCIUM INTAKES ON BONE FORMATION AND RESORPTION IN OSTEOPOROSIS. Am J Med. 1964 Apr;36:514–528. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(64)90100-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MEEMA H. E., BUNKER M. L., MEEMA S. LOSS OF COMPACT BONE DUE TO MENOPAUSE. Obstet Gynecol. 1965 Sep;26:333–343. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. MULLIGAN L., NASSIM J. R., SAVILLE P. D. The effect of stilboestrol on urinary phosphate excretion. Clin Sci. 1956 Aug;15(3):367–371. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. MacGillivray I., Gow S. Metabolic, hormonal, and vascular changes after synthetic oestrogen therapy in oophorectomized women. Br Med J. 1971 Apr 10;2(5753):73–77. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5753.73. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Meema H. E., Meema S. Prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis by hormone treatment of the menopause. Can Med Assoc J. 1968 Aug 10;99(6):248–251. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Nordin B. E. Clinical significance and pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Br Med J. 1971 Mar 13;1(5749):571–576. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5749.571. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nordin B. E., Hodgkinson A., Peacock M. The measurement and the meaning of urinary calcium. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1967 May-Jun;52:293–322. doi: 10.1097/00003086-196700520-00023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Nordin B. E., Young M. M., Bentley B., Ormondroyd P., Sykes J. Lumbar spine densitometry methodology and results in relation to the menopause. Clin Radiol. 1968 Oct;19(4):459–464. doi: 10.1016/s0009-9260(68)80107-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. PILGERAM L. O., PICKART L. R. Depression of plasma albumin by steroid therapy. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1963 Mar;112:758–760. doi: 10.3181/00379727-112-28162. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. PREEDY J. R., AITKEN E. H. The effect of estrogen on water and electrolyte metabolism. I. The normal. J Clin Invest. 1956 Apr;35(4):423–429. doi: 10.1172/JCI103293. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Riggs B. L., Jowsey J., Kelly P. J., Jones J. D., Maher F. T. Effect of sex hormones on bone in primary osteoporosis. J Clin Invest. 1969 Jun;48(6):1065–1072. doi: 10.1172/JCI106062. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Robertson G. S. Serum protein and cholinesterase changes in association with contraceptive pills. Lancet. 1967 Feb 4;1(7484):232–235. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)91298-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. SWAAB L. I. ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND LIVER DAMAGE. Br Med J. 1964 Sep 19;2(5411):755–755. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5411.755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Trudeau D. L., Freier E. F. Determination of calcium in urine and serum by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Clin Chem. 1967 Feb;13(2):101–114. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. WROBLEWSKI F., LADUE J. S. Lactic dehydrogenase activity in blood. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1955 Oct;90(1):210–213. doi: 10.3181/00379727-90-21985. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES