Efficacy of tibolone and transdermal estrogen therapy on psychological symptoms in women following surgical menopause

Objective: This study investigated the efficacy of tibolone and transdermal estradiol therapy on menopausal and psychological symptoms in women following surgical menopause. Method: Seventy-five women who had undergone surgical menopause were randomized to a 6-month double-blind interventional study treatment with oral 2.5 mg/day tibolone, transdermal 3.9 mg/week estradiol or oral placebo. The patients were assessed using Kupperman's Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) before and at the end of the 6 months of treatment. Result: Sixty-five subjects completed the study: 23 on tibolone, 21 on transdermal estradiol and 21 on placebo. At the end of the 6 months of therapy, highly significant improvements in menopausal symptoms, depression and anxiety scores were observed in both groups (tibolone and transdermal estradiol groups) as compared with baseline values (p < 0.001). However, in the placebo group, there were no significant differences on changes from baseline to the end of treatment (p > 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that tibolone and transdermal estradiol therapy significantly improve menopausal and psychological symptoms in women following surgical menopause. (c) 2005 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.