Implant vs. gel: which hormone delivery wins for menopause?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Women aged 41 to 59 years with climacteric symptoms, weighing 50 to 90 kg, with a BMI of 18.5 to 34.9 kg/m². Hysterectomy (with or without oophorectomy). Hypoestrogenism defined by a total serum estradiol concentration ≤ 50 pg/mL and a serum FSH concentration ≥ 25 mIU/mL. Absence of signs, symptoms, or clinical findings suggestive of breast cancer, as evidenced by a mammography report (for women \> 40 years of age) dated within the last 12 months showing BI-RADS 1 or BI-RADS 2 classification. Agreement not to use other hormones (estrogens, androgens, and/or progestogens) or contraceptives in any pharmaceutical form during the study. Exclusion Criteria: Contraindications to the use of menopausal hormone therapy: vaginal bleeding of unknown cause; personal history of hormone-dependent neoplasia, including breast cancer or breast cancer precursor lesions; liver disease; porphyria; personal history of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, or venous thromboembolism; systemic lupus erythematosus with high thromboembolic risk; and meningioma. Comorbidities associated with increased cardiovascular risk: smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, dyslipidemia, and uncontrolled hypertension. Severe chronic disorders, including metastatic malignancies, end-stage renal disease (with or without dialysis), clinically unstable heart disease, or any other disorder that, in the investigator's opinion, excludes the participant from the study. Immunocompromise or suspected/confirmed diagnosis of immunodeficiency based on history and/or physical or laboratory examination. Active liver disease or dysfunction. Benign or malignant liver tumors. Clinical diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Use of other hormones (estrogens, androgens, and/or progestogens) in any pharmaceutical form within the last month. Use of contraceptives. Current use of medications that alter cytochrome P450 activity and estrogen metabolism. Current use of tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, or GnRH agonists/antagonists for cancer or any other condition. Current use of phytoestrogens. Participation in another clinical study within 30 days prior to the start of study treatment. Patients who do not complete all study stages, who do not adhere to the intervention, or who experience an intercurrent event that interferes with the study outcome. \-