Summary Whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is beneficial for coronary heart disease (CHD) is controversial. We hypothesized that continuous combined transdermal HRT may have benefits on CHD risk markers without the potential adverse effects seen with certain other HRT regimens. Sixty apparently healthy postmenopausal women, aged 40–65 years, entered a prospective, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trial; 55 women completed the 6‐month study. Women received either transdermal oestradiol 17β 0·05 mg and norethisterone acetate 0·125 mg daily, or identical placebo. Circulating markers of vascular function and remodelling, forearm blood flow, lipids and lipoproteins, glucose and insulin, and haemostatic safety parameters were measured at baseline and after treatment. Compared with placebo after 6 months, HRT administration resulted in decreased E‐selectin (P < 0·01), and angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme (ACE; P = 0·05). Cholesterol (P < 0·05), low‐density lipoproteins (LDL; P < 0·05), high‐density lipoprotein3 (HDL3; P < 0·05) and apolipoproteins AII (P < 0·05) and B (P < 0·05), and fasting insulin (P < 0·05) also decreased in the HRT group. Factor VII coagulation activity decreased (P < 0·01) and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 and fibrin D‐dimer increased (P < 0·05) in the HRT group, whilst prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (P < 0·05) decreased, more so in the placebo group. There were no changes in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2, or in LDL particle size. This transdermal HRT had beneficial effects on vascular function and CHD risk markers.

The study aims to determine the distribution of the ABO/Rhesus Blood Groups among Hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive patients in Lagos State. Copies of structured questionnaires were distributed to 162 HBV patients that visited selected health facilities within 6 months in the city. After obtaining relevant information, whole blood samples were collected from each participant in an EDTA bottle. Thereafter, the ABO blood group types (A, B, AB, and O) as well as Rhesus blood groups were determined using standard protocols. Results showed that 48.1% of the participants had type O blood group, followed by type A (26.5%), type B (24.7%), and type AB (0.6%). Moreover, 94.4% of the participants were Rh+. The study showed that HBV was more prevalent among participants with type O blood group (48.1%) with rhesus positivity of 94.4%, compared to other blood group types. This indicates that type O individuals in the city could be more susceptible to HBV infection. There should be public awareness on the association between ABO/Rh blood groups and the prevalence of HBV infection in the state.

Objective. Menopausal women often report problems with memory.' The effects of HRT on this phenomenon are unclear. The aim of this study was to apply the Rivermead Behaviour Memory Test (RMBT) to menopausal patients before and during HRT to test for changes in active memory. Methods. Following ethical approval and informed consent, 17 new patients at the university menopause clinic were studied. Their mean age (SEM) was 50 (1.59 yrs) and their mean age of menopause was 46.7 (1.33 yrs). They had the RMBT test performed as a baseline. After starting HRT they completed a parallel RMBT test after three and six months of therapy. All patients were compliant with HRT. Analysis was by repeated measures ANOVA as well as Chi square and

The oral contraceptive containing ethinylestradiol and the progestin norethisterone acetate did not elicit a higher D-ring metabolism, which is considered to increase breast cancer risk. For the oral contraceptive containing dienogest a significant decrease of the ratio in favour of the antiestrogenic oestradiol metabolite was observed.