Tibolone: a review

Tibolone appears to be at least as efficacious as other forms of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) on climacteric symptoms. It does not cause withdrawal bleeding when used in women with at least 1 year of amenorrhea. It is, therefore, not indicated in perimenopause because it may cause irregular bleeding. The androgenic action of tibolone may have a two-fold benefit: on the one hand, it may help depression and libido more than other forms of HRT, while, on the other hand, it may improve some lipid parameters such as Lp(a), and triglycerides. However, this androgenic action, may also be responsible for the reduction of HDL cholesterol, that may thus reduce the beneficial effect of tibolone on lipids. It is estimated that only 30% of cardiovascular risk protection of HRT is due to improvement of classical lipids parameters while a great role is played by the direct effect of estrogen on vessels. Tibolone, as well as estrogen, has been shown to induce peripheral vasodilatation and also has a direct effect on vascular reactivity thus increasing peripheral blood flow with no changes in blood pressure or cardiac output. Tibolone seems to exert a similar effect as other forms of HRT on markers of bone metabolism and bone mass, but no data is yet available on fracture prevention.