Survey study, 1990
Why do some women need very high hormone levels from implants?
Women needing very high estrogen levels from hormone implants often have a history of depression or surgical menopause. This suggests they may require higher hormone levels to control their symptoms.
What they did
Researchers reviewed hormone implant records from 1388 women treated at a menopause clinic in 1988.
What they found
38 women had estrogen levels above 1750 pmol/l. Of these, 23 were treated for menopausal symptoms and 15 for PMS. Among the 23 menopausal women, 11 had been referred for depression and 9 had undergone surgical menopause. Among the 15 women with PMS, 9 had been referred for depression.
What it means for you
Women who develop very high estrogen levels are more likely to have a psychiatric history or surgical menopause. This might explain why they need higher hormone doses, though the study does not prove that high levels caused the psychiatric issues.
38
women with estrogen above 1750 pmol/l
3%
proportion with very high estrogen levels
9 of 15
PMS women with psychiatric referral for depression
About the study
- Original title
- Hormone implants and tachyphylaxis
- Authors
- Garnett T, Studd JW, Henderson A et al.
- Journal
- British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 1,388
- What was tested
- Hormone implant therapy
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1990.tb02447.x
Topics
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