Hormone Therapy in Women with Premature Ovarian Failure: Is Transdermal Safer Than Oral?

Conventional treatment for premature ovarian failure consists of oral contraceptives (OCs) or menopausal hormone therapy. In an open-label, randomized, crossover trial, investigators in Scotland compared the effects of an OC (30 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 1.5 mg of norethindrone daily for 21 days, followed by 7 hormone-free days) with those of transdermal estrogen (0.1-mg estradiol patch, week 1; 0.15-mg patch, weeks 2 and 3; no estrogen, week 4) plus cyclical vaginal or oral progesterone. Participants received one treatment for 12 months and then switched to the alternative treatment (after washout) for 12 months. Blood pressure and renal factors (e.g., plasma angiotensin II levels) were measured at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months of …