Objective
To investigate the changes of bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical bone markers, and lipid profiles according to the duration of menopause in postmenopausal osteoporosis patient receiving continuous hormonal replacement therapy (c-HRT).

Method
Sixty seven patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis who have been under c-HRT for more than two years were used as subjects and divided into two groups according to the time past menopause: group I (0∼10 years), group II (over 10 years). The changes of BMD, biochemical bone markers, lipid profiles on one year and two years of c-HRT were comparatively analyzed in each group.

Results
1) BMD of lumbar vertebra was increased and biochemical bone markers were decreased after c-HRT in both groups, but BMD of femur from both groups showed no statistical significant changes. 2) The changes in lumbar vertebra, deoxypyridinoline and osteocalcin were significantly higher after first one year than next one year of c-HRT in both groups, with no statistical differences between two groups. 3) Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were decreased, but HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride showed no significant changes after c-HRT in both groups.

Conclusion
The effects of c-HRT on BMD, biochemical bone markers, lipid profiles were not influenced by postmenopausal period. And the effects of c-HRT during first one year were more prominent than those of c-HRT during next one year.