A Comparison of Patch vs. Pill Estrogen Therapy on Testosterone Levels and Thyroid Tests in Menopausal Women

A Comparison of Transdermal vs. Oral Estrogen Replacement Therapy on Androgen Levels and Thyroid Function in Naturally Menopausal Women

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00224094

Enrollment

Registered

2005-09-22

Start date

2002-01-31

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2012-10-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Menopause

Keywords

Menopause, Testosterone, Androgens, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, Thyroid function, Cortisol

Brief summary

This study compares the effects of 12 weeks of treatment with transdermal versus oral estrogen therapy on testsoterone levels and thyroid tests in healthy, naturally menopausal women.

Interventions

DRUGPremarin® (oral) vs. Alora® (transdermal)

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

42 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Healthy * Naturally menopausal women * Aged 42-70 years * Currently using combination estrogen-progestin replacement therapy

Exclusion criteria

* Women with contraindications to HRT use, including:Unexplained vaginal bleeding, liver disease, breast or endometrial cancer, venous thromboembolic events * Thyroid disease * Adrenal disease

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Compare the effects of a 12-week course of oral CEE to a 12-week course of transdermal estradiol on free testosterone concentrations in menopausal women.	12 weeks

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Compare the effects of oral versus transdermal ERT on thyroid binding globulin concentrations and tests of thyroid function.	12 weeks
Compare the effects of oral versus transdermal ERT on cortisol binding globulin and total and free cortisol concentrations.	12 weeks

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026