Background: C-reactive protein is one of the independent risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of study was to find changes of hsCRP levels during transdermal and oral application of estrogen replacement therapy.
Methods and results: Two application ways were used for 12 weeks: oral estradiol 2 mg/day and transdermal estradiol 50 microg /day (7-day patches). 41 healthy women with average age 49 +/- 6 years were randomised into prospective cross-over designed study. The average level of hsCRP before therapy was 3.3 mg/l. Elevation on 4.8 mg/I after the oral therapy was significant (p = 0.05). Transdermal estrogene therapy did not induce any significant (p = 0.87) changes. Differences between oral and transdermal therapy were significant (p = 0.002).
Conclusions: The transdermal application of the estrogene replacement therapy is more safety for a vessel wall from the view of hsCRP levels. Differences between transdermal and oral application way are apparent even in case of the early start of hormone replacement therapy.