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Estrogen deficiency may account for lower circulating GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations in the menopause. Since the liver is the major source of circulating IGF-I and oral estrogens have nonphysiological effects on hepatic function, we have compared GH secretion over 24 h from 20 min sampling and serum IGF-I levels in premeno-pausal women (n = 7, follicular phase) and postmenopausal women before and after 2 months of cyclical replacement therapy with either oral ethinyl estradiol (EE, 20 μg daily; n = 7) or transdermal 17μ-estradiol (E₂, 100 μg patches applied twice weekly; n = 7). The extent of GH binding to its serum binding protein was also examined by measuring the percent specific binding of [¹²⁵I] GH in serum.

Mean 24-h serum GH and serum IGF-I were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. Oral and transdermal estrogen therapy …