GynecologyEstrogen replacement in perimenopause-related depression: A preliminary report☆
Section snippets
Methods
Subjects were women between the ages of 44 and 55 years who met the diagnostic criteria for perimenopause-related depression. The women were referred by their personal physicians or responded to advertisements in local newspapers. The study was conducted at an outpatient clinic within the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. The protocol was approved by the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Review Subpanel, and written informed consent was obtained from all
Results
Thirty-four women were admitted into this trial; 16 received estradiol first and 18 received placebo first. Eight women had a current diagnosis of a major depressive episode, and the remainder met criteria for current minor depression. Women receiving estradiol were similar to those receiving placebo in terms of baseline characteristics (Table II).Empty Cell 17β-estradiol (n = 16) Placebo (n = 18) Age (y) Mean ± SD 48.3 ± 2.70 50.1 ± 3.1 Range 44-52 44-55 Parity (mean ± SD)
Comment
This study demonstrates that a dose of estradiol 0.05 mg/d administered by skin patch is associated with a significant improvement in mood in depressed perimenopausal women with or without hot flushes. Our data are consistent with studies by Montgomery et al6 and Saletu et al,7 who observed the beneficial effects of estrogen on mood in perimenopausal women reporting depressive symptoms. We extend prior findings by demonstrating that estradiol has salutary effects on mood in women who meet
Acknowledgements
We thank Ciba-Geigy, Raritan, NJ, for the provision of estradiol skin patches; Dr John Bartko for statistical consultation; Ms Candace Davis for expert assistance with figure preparation; and Ms Nazli Haq for clinical assistance.
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