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The Menopause and Postmenopause pp 163–177Cite as

Calcium Metabolism in the Postmenopause and Sex Steroid Therapy: Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and Sex Steroids

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Abstract

Considerable controversy still surrounds the etiology of osteoporosis in ageing women. Albright, Smith and Richardson in 19411 originally drew attention to its relationship to the menopause, and in a simple hypothesis proposed an etiological association between loss of ovarian function and the subsequent development of osteoporosis. Metabolic balance studies indicated that both estrogen and androgen should be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis2. However, treatment with androgens fell into disrepute when it became obvious that they were ineffective unless given in virilizing doses3 and, using the relatively insensitive techniques then available, cross-sectional studies suggested that, at best, estrogen would only prevent skeletal loss4, and that such an effect might only be temporary. Further, Donaldson and Nassim5 were unable to find any significant association between osteoporosis and oophorectomy.

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Authors
  1. R. Lindsay
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Patologia Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Univeristà di Roma, V. le Regina Elena, 324-00161, Roma, Italy

    N. Pasetto

  2. Istituto di Farmacologia, Università di Milano, Via Vanvitelli, 32-Milano, Italy

    R. Paoletti

  3. Department of Health, State of New York, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 14263, Buffalo, New York, USA

    J. L. Ambrus

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© 1980 MTP Press Limited

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Lindsay, R. (1980). Calcium Metabolism in the Postmenopause and Sex Steroid Therapy: Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and Sex Steroids. In: Pasetto, N., Paoletti, R., Ambrus, J.L. (eds) The Menopause and Postmenopause. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7230-1_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7230-1_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-011-7232-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7230-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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