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Menopausal women experience urogenitory and vasomotor symptoms with increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases, which can be reduced by hormone replacement therapy. However unopposed estrogen therapy has been associated with an increased risk of endometrial hypeiplasia or cancer. The objectives of this study were to compare effects of continuous vs. sequential hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on lipid profile, bone mineral density and menopausal symptoms of postmenopausal women and to assess how they perceive the menopause and HRT culturally. In this retrospective study, women in menopause longer than 6 months, normal in the mam-mogram and Papanicolaou smear, cholesterol level lower than 190 mg/dL or triglyceride level lower 4han 500 mg/dL were treated with Srogen (conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg tablet) and Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg tablet) for continuous treatment(CT) or Cycloprogynova (Estradiol valerate 2 mg and Norgestrel 0.5 mg complex tablet) for sequential treatment(ST). They were evaluated for lipid profile, bone mineral density, menopausal symptoms, side effects and their perception of menopause and HRT. As results, total sixty-seven patients out of ninety-four enrollees were included in final analysis (33 in continuous therapy, 34 in sequential therapy). There were significant decrease in total cholesterol (15.04pm3.17, p=0.0001), LDL (19.72pm3.27, p=0.0001), and increase in HDL (5.89pm1.63, p=0.0001). Bone minora) density increased significantly with HRT (0.02pm0.11, p=0.0001). But, there were no significant differences in change of lipid profile between continuous and sequential therapy: Total cholesterol, 13.12pm4.7;vs.;16.91pm4.3;;LDL;20.53pm4.1;vs.;18.93pm5.12:HDL;7.15pm2.3;vs.;4.67pm2.2,;p>0.05. Incidences of flush reduced from 75%;(CT);to;3.13%;and;71.88%;(ST);to;9.35%. The change of endometrium and breast were found 3 (CT) and 5 (ST) women, respectively. Most of women recognized that HRT is necessary (70%) for postmenopausal period but did not understand well the cardiovascular protective effect. In conclusion, hormone replacement therapy was effective in improving lipid profile, bone mineral density and menopausal symptoms in both continuous and sequential treatments with similar efficacy.
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