Article Text
Statistics from Altmetric.com
QUESTION: In perimenopausal women with clinically important depressive disorders, does 17β-estradiol decrease depressive symptoms?
Design
12 week randomised (allocation concealed*), blinded {clinicians, patients, outcome assessors, and statisticians}†,* placebo controlled trial.
Setting
A gynaecological clinic and psychiatric outpatient clinic in São Paulo, Brazil.
Patients
50 women who were 40 to 55 years of age (mean age 50 y); had a history of menstrual cycle irregularity or amenorrhoea for < 12 months; had a serum concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone > 25 IU/l; and had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, or minor depressive disorder. Exclusion criteria were medical illness; hormone replacement therapy or psychoactive drug use in the previous 3 months; or presence of psychotic features or suicidal or severe aggressive behaviour. Follow up was 90%.
Intervention
Patients were allocated to a 17β-estradiol patch, 100 …