The efficacy of dietary intervention alone or combined with hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia in Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Women have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to hormone imbalance-induced changes in blood lipid profiles after menopause. This study was done to compare the effects of dietary intervention and hormone replacement therapy, alone or in combination, on blood lipids and body weight in Korean postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia. The subjects were treated by one of three different treatments for 12 weeks: hormone replacement therapy (HRT group, n = 8), dietary intervention (DIET group, n = 8) and hormone replacement therapy combined with dietary intervention (HRT+DIET group, n = 8). Serum TC and LDL-C levels decreased by 13-16 % and 24-28 % in the HRT group, by 17-19 % and 21-23 % in the DIET group and by 19-26 % and 32-39 % in the HRT+DIET group, respectively ( P < 0.05). Serum HDL-C levels decreased in the DIET group (-6.4 %, P < 0.05) but not in the HRT and HRT+DIET groups. Serum TG levels increased in the HRT group (18 %, P < 0.05) but decreased in the DIET group (-24.4 %, P < 0.05). In the HRT+ DIET group, serum TG levels did not change. Body weight decreased only in the DIET group. We can conclude that dietary intervention produces a considerable improvement in blood lipid profiles and body weight, even though our study is limited by the sample size. Thus, the treatment to reduce risk of CVD should be individualized on the basis of the patient's dietary intake status, and at least, HRT should not be substituted for dietary intervention.