This meta- analysis shows that oral tibolone treatment significantly lowers circulating Lp(a ) levels in postmenopausal women .
INTRODUCTION Circulating lipoprotein ( a ) ( Lp(a ) ) is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) .
Tibolone , a synthetic steroid , may lower Lp(a ) levels ; however , evidence of the effects of tibolone on Lp(a ) still remain to be defined .
Therefore , we investigated the effects of tibolone treatment on circulating Lp(a ) levels in postmenopausal women .
Lowering of HDL cholesterol in post-menopausal women by tibolone is not associated with changes in cholesterol efflux capacity or paraoxonase activity.
Low HDL cholesterol increases the risk of coronary heart disease . Treatment of postmenopausal women with tibolone  lowers  HDL cholesterol . We eluci date d the consequences of this unwanted side effect in a r and omized , double-blind study , where 12 women received 2.5 mg tibolone per day and 6 women , placebo .  Blood sample s were collected on days -1 ( i.e. baseline ) , 28 , 56 , and 84 for the analysis of various parameters of lipid metabolism and HDL function . Compared to placebo , treatment with tibolone led to statistically significant decreases of HDL cholesterol ( -22 % to -32 % ) , apoA-I ( -14 % to -22 % ) , and HDL subclass LpA-I ( -30 % to -40 % ) but to no significant changes in apoA-II and HDL subclass LpA-I , A-II . These changes were not associated with statistically significant changes in the activity of plasma to release 3H-cholesterol from radiolabeled fibroblasts or in the serum activity of the anti-oxidative enzyme paraoxonase/arylesterase . There were no significant changes in either serum levels of triglycerides , LDL cholesterol , apoB , and leptin , or in LDL size . We conclude that changes in insulin do not contribute to the lowering of HDL cholesterol by tibolone . Despite decreased HDL cholesterol , putatively anti-atherogenic activities of HDL remained unchanged
This meta- analysis shows that oral tibolone treatment significantly lowers circulating Lp(a ) levels in postmenopausal women .
INTRODUCTION Circulating lipoprotein ( a ) ( Lp(a ) ) is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) .
Tibolone , a synthetic steroid , may lower Lp(a ) levels ; however , evidence of the effects of tibolone on Lp(a ) still remain to be defined .
Therefore , we investigated the effects of tibolone treatment on circulating Lp(a ) levels in postmenopausal women .