---
title: Can estrogen prevent bone loss from GnRH analogue treatment? | Niyora
description: Yes. Adding estrogen therapy prevented the significant bone loss that occurred when women took the GnRH drug Zoladex alone.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-prevention-of-bone-loss-in-young-women-treated-with-gnrh-analogues-with-add-1993/
---

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- Can estrogen prevent bone loss from GnRH analogue treatment?

Randomised trial, 1993

# Can estrogen prevent bone loss from GnRH analogue treatment?

Yes. Adding estrogen therapy prevented the significant bone loss that occurred when women took the GnRH drug Zoladex alone.

 Moderate study design

60 women aged 21-45 years

## What they did

Sixty women aged 21-45 were randomly assigned to one of three groups: placebo implant plus placebo pills, Zoladex (a GnRH drug) plus placebo pills, or Zoladex plus estrogen pills (estradiol 2 mg daily with norethisterone on days 22-28). Treatment lasted 6 cycles. Bone density was measured before and after treatment at the lower spine and upper thighbone.

## What they found

Women receiving Zoladex plus placebo showed significant bone loss at both the lumbar spine and proximal femur compared to their pre-treatment levels and compared to the placebo-only group. Women receiving Zoladex plus estrogen showed no significant change in bone density compared to their pre-treatment levels or the placebo group.

## What it means for you

Estrogen add-back therapy can protect bones when women take GnRH drugs for extended periods. This is important because young women may need long-term GnRH treatment. The main limits are a 32% dropout rate and that the study only lasted 6 cycles.

60

Women in the study

6

Treatment cycles

32%

Dropout rate

## About the study

Original title The prevention of bone loss in young women treated with GnRH analogues with "add-back" estrogen therapy Authors Leather AT, Studd JW, Watson NR et al. Journal Obstetrics and gynecology Year 1993 Study design Randomised trial Participants 60 What was tested Zoladex 3.6 mg with or without estrogen add-back therapy Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0020-7292(93)90299-c](https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7292(93)90299-c)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

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