Continuous combined low-dose hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause: an algorithm of choice

Abstract

In the age of broad medical options, women’s health has received sufficient attention. The different periods of a woman’s life are characterised by specific physiological changes, based on the age-related characteristics of the reproductive system. The onset of menopause can have a negative impact on health in varying degrees. Clinicians have a clear understanding of the effects of estrogen deficiency and the therapeutic options for managing it with menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and alternative methods of treatment. However, to date, methods for optimising and individualising the correction of menopausal disorders continue to improve. The individualization of MHT is aimed at increasing the efficacy of menopausal management and minimizing possible adverse events. Individualization is based on the selection of a hormone drug taking into account age, menopausal status, somatic health of the woman and her main complaints against the background of estrogen deficiency. The next stage of transformation of MHT concerned the composition of the drugs and the doses of their components. The evolution of the estrogenic component began with the use of conjugated estrogens, whose metabolism is not fully clarified, and stopped at the production of bioidentical estrogens (17p-estradiol and estradiol valerate), which in their structure are as close as possible to ovarian estradiol. The type, dose and combination of estrogens and progestogens determine the severity and specificity of the effect of the hormone. This article will present a clinical case study of the low- and ultra-low-dose combination of 17p-estradiol and dydrogesterone (E/DG).