NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Jan 15 - Genistein aglycone improves bone formation without adversely affecting the breast in postmenopausal women with osteopenia, according to a report in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
"Since genistein aglycone has a good safety profile on the breast, uterus, and cardiovascular system, it may be considered a valuable alternative to hormone replacement therapy," Dr. Francesco Squadrito from University of Messina, Italy, told Reuters Health.
Squadrito and colleagues evaluated the safety profile of genistein aglycone (54 mg/day) on breast and uterine tissue and its effects on bone metabolism over three years of therapy.
The study participants included 389 postmenopausal women who were randomized to treatment or placebo. The three-year trial was completed by 71 women in the genistein group and by 67 in the placebo group.
Bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck and lumbar spine increased significantly after genistein treatment, the researchers say, although there was no significant difference between two and three years of therapy.
Several markers of bone metabolism and formation improved significantly in the genistein treatment group compared with the placebo group, the report indicates.
Genistein treatment had no significant impact on breast density, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mRNA levels, or sister chromatid exchange, the authors report. Mean endometrial thickness did not change significantly with genistein treatment.
"Usually, the drugs used in the management of osteopenia/osteoporosis have been classified as predominantly 'antiresorptive agents' or as 'bone-forming agents' but, on the basis of our results, genistein might represent the first therapy that overcomes this classification by combining a powerful bone-forming as well as an antiresorptive activity," Squadrito explained.
"All postmenopausal women with bone loss would be ideal candidates for genistein aglycone treatment," Squadrito concluded. "Genistein aglycone has a good safety profile, and in addition it is effective against climacteric syndrome (i.e., hot flushes and night sweats)."
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:4787-4796.
Last Updated: 2009-01-14 18:59:21 -0400 (Reuters Health)
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