Hormone Replacement Therapy at the Menopause A Double Blind Controlled Study of Women's Preferences

Summary: Forty‐nine women who had previously undergone hysterectomy and bilateral oöphorectomy took part in a double blind cross‐over trial of hormone replacement therapies. This consisted of 3 months each of ethinyl oestradiol 50 μg per day, d norgestrel 250 μg per day, a combination of these 2 substances (‘Nordiol’), and a placebo. All drugs were administered in a randomized sequence as identical tablets. The 36 women who completed the study concorded in their preference of the drug received. The order of preference was ethinyl oestradiol, the combination of ethinyl oestradiol and d norgestrel, d norgestrel and placebo. From a symptomatic viewpoint, this suggests the use of oestrogen alone as the preferred hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. The combination of oestrogen and progestogen may provide a satisfactory alternative where the use of unopposed oestrogens is undesirable.