Androgen Replacement Therapy in Menopause
Key Points
- During natural menopause, there is a 50% reduction in androgen production and a 66% decrease in oestrogen secretion.
- Concomitant androgen/oestrogen replacement therapy improves sexual functioning in menopausal women.
- Androgen/oestrogen replacement therapy increases bone mineral density to a greater extent than oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) alone.
- Secondary hepatic abnormalities reported in the literature were seen with androgen dosages that are 10-40 times higher than those commonly prescribed for women today.
- The benefits of androgen/oestrogen co-therapy need to be balanced with the potential side effects of this regimen.
|