[Influence of nomegestrol acetate on the improvement of the quality of life induced by estrogen therapy in menopausal women]. / Influence de l'association du nomégestrol acétate sur l'amélioration de la qualité de vie induite par une estrogénothérapie chez la femme ménopausée.

ABSTRACT

Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is followed by several benefits including a prompt improvement of quality of life. Due to uterine proliferation induced by prolonged estrogen intake, progestogens are usually associated, on a cyclical basis, in hormonal replacement therapy prescribed to non-hysterectomized women. Persistence of the beneficial effect of estrogen on quality of life, during progestogens intake, was never investigated. We evaluated, through a specific and previously validated questionnaire, the changes in quality of life observed in 351 women recently menopaused, after 6 months of hormonal replacement therapy associating 24 days of estrogens and 12 days of administration of a non androgenic progestogen nomegestrol acetate. Patients were randomized within two therapeutic groups in which evaluation of quality of life was performed either during the administration of estrogen alone or during administration of estrogen and progestogen. In the two groups, hormonal replacement therapy was followed by a significant improvement (P < 0,001) in quality of life and no significant difference was observed between the changes observed during estrogen or estrogen-progestogen administration. Quality of life indices measured after 6 months of hormonal replacement therapy are within the same range than values previously described in eugonadal women. We conclude that improvement of quality of life induced by estrogen replacement therapy remains unchanged during cyclical administration of nomegestrol acetate.