A comparison of raloxifene and calcium plus vitamin D on vaginal atrophy after discontinuation of long-standing postmenopausal hormone therapy in osteoporotic women. A randomized, masked-evaluator, one-year, prospective study.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

The researchers assessed the effects of the discontinuation of long-standing transdermal estrogen replacement therapy (>4 years) and substitution of this treatment by calcium or raloxifene on the vaginal epithelium and climateric symptoms in a study population of osteoporotic women.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 136 women were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults, women only.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and double-blind study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the women nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The vaginal maturation value (VMV), serum estradiol levels, and climateric symptoms using a 12-item modification of the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire were evaluated at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Administration, Cutaneous, Calcium, Dietary, Estradiol, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Longitudinal Studies, Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal and Progesterone.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and double-blind study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 136 women.

Its findings take up roughly 8 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2005 (Maturitas), a journal based in Ireland.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.