Lipid and Lipoprotein Responses to Oral Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy in Normolipemic Obese Women with Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This study investigated the effects of oral combined hormone replacement therapy (OCHRT) on lipid concentrations and subpopulation distribution of lipoproteins in nine postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus and moderate glycemic control. After 16 weeks of continuous daily therapy of conjugated estrogens 0.625 mg and medroxyprogesterone 2.5 mg, the mean concentration of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol showed a statistically significant increase of 16.7%, predominantly in the HDL2 subfraction. No statistically significant changes in mean concentrations of total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, or apolipoprotein B were evident. Likewise, no changes were found in the average diameter of VLDL, LDL, or HDL particles; triglyceride concentrations of VLDL subfractions; cholesterol concentrations of LDL subfractions; or chemical composition of plasma LDL. These findings lend further support to the use of OCHRT in postmenopausal women with diabetes to decrease their risk for coronary artery disease.