Effect of cyclic estrone sulfate treatment on lipid profiles of postmenopausal women with elevated cholesterol levels.

The effects of two doses of cyclic unopposed estrone sulfate therapy on the lipid profiles of 153 healthy postmenopausal women with baseline total cholesterol levels above 219 mg/dL were compared in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were assigned randomly to one of three treatment groups: estrone sulfate 0.625 mg (N = 59) or 1.25 mg (N = 43), or placebo (N = 51). The median baseline total cholesterol levels of the three treatment groups were 262, 269, and 262 mg/dL, respectively. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and the HDL/LDL ratio were assessed after 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. There was a significant monotonic dose-response relationship of estrone sulfate in raising HDL levels, lowering LDL levels, and raising the HDL/LDL ratio at all intervals measured. These results indicate that estrone sulfate is effective in creating a beneficial change in the lipid profile of postmenopausal women with elevated baseline total cholesterol.