The effects of hormone therapy on pulmonary function tests in postmenopausal women

Objective: To investigate the effects of hormone therapy (HT) administered to postmenopausal women on pulmonary function tests (PFT). Methods: Eighty-two postmenopausal women who were having natural or surgically initiated menopause and had no risk factor that could affect the respiratory system were included into this prospective, randomized study. Twenty-five women who refused to use HT were assessed as the control group (Group I). Nineteen women who accepted using HT and who were having surgically initiated menopause were given continuous estrogen (Group II), 23 were given continuous estrogen and progesterone in combination (Group III) and 15 were given cyclic estrogen and progesterone combination (Group IV). Forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow rate over 25-75% of the forced vital capacity volume and peak expiratory flow rate were assessed at the beginning of the treatment and in the third month in order to evaluate the effects of HT regimens on the women's PFT. Results: A statistically significant increase was observed only in the FEV1 and FVC parameters of Group III after three months of therapy (P<0.05). The comparison between pre- and posttherapy FEV1 and FVC values showed an increase in the Group TV, but the difference was not statistically significant, while there was no difference between basal and third month FEV1 and FVC values of the group receiving estrogen only. Conclusions: It was seen that particularly continuous combined HT regimen positively affected the FEV1 and FVC parameters of the postmenopausal women. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.