Blood coagulation in postmenopausal women given estrogen treatment: comparison of transdermal and oral administration.

The responses of the blood coagulation and related systems were studied in 23 postmenopausal women, all of whom received, in randomized order, therapy with conjugated oral estrogens (0.625 and 1.25 mg daily) and transdermally administered estradiol in doses of 25, 50, 100, and 200 micrograms/24 hr. Neither plasma fibrinopeptide A determinations nor plasma fibrinogen chromatographic findings were altered; thus there is no evidence of accelerated fibrinogen turnover with either form of therapy. However, alpha 1-antitrypsin and plasminogen concentrations were significantly increased with the higher dosage of oral but not with transdermally administered estrogen. Similarly, ceruloplasmin concentration was significantly elevated with both oral doses but was unchanged by transdermal therapy.