[Effect of hormone replacement therapy on blood serum lipids in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes].

There are limited data concerning influence of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on lipid profile in women with type 2 diabetes. Aim of the study was to compare changes of blood lipids during HRT in postmenopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes. Seventy seven women included in the study were assigned to 1 of 4 groups, basing on being diabetic or nondiabetic, and further subdivided into users of estrogen alone (ERT), and of estrogen plus progestin (EPRT). Effect of 6-month ERT (oral estradiol valerate 2 mg/day) and EPRT (oral estradiol valerate 2 mg/day sequentially combined with cyproterone acetate 1 mg/day) on total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] was separately assessed. EPRT and ERT caused decrease in LDL-C by 15% and 12%, and increase in HDL-C by 12% and 13%, respectively, in patients with diabetes (p<0.05 in all cases). LDL-C decreased by 11% and 15%, respectively, in women without diabetes (p<0.05 in all cases). Lp(a) was also reduced 25% with EPRT (p<0.01) and ERT (p<0.05). HDL-C increased 10% (p<0.05) with ERT but remained unchanged with EPRT. In conclusion, changes in all lipid parameters except Lp(a) caused by ERT and EPRT were comparable in postmenopausal women with and without type 2 diabetes.