Transdermal Hormonal Therapy in Menopause: Current Evidence and Personalized Approaches.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing secondary evidence without systematic review methodology
PubMed 42198223 · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics18050529
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the physiological rationale, indications, pharmacological profiles, and clinical evidence for transdermal hormone therapy in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, with an emphasis on individualized treatment strategies.
What was found
No quantitative findings, sample sizes, or statistical estimates are reported in the abstract. The review conceptually notes that bypassing first-pass hepatic metabolism leads to more consistent serum hormone concentrations and potentially lower risks of metabolic and thromboembolic complications compared to oral regimens.
Why it matters
It highlights the pharmacological advantages of non-oral delivery routes in modern menopause management, specifically for mitigating common vascular and metabolic risks linked to oral estrogen.
Limits
The paper is a non-systematic narrative review with no primary data or quantitative synthesis presented in the abstract. Specific patient populations, formulation differences, and comparative effect magnitudes cannot be evaluated from the text.
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