11.   Patients had radial and spinal bone density measured annually by single photon absorptiometry and quantitative computed tomography respectively.

12.   We have studied postmenopausal women with inflammatory bowel disease given HRT for two years and followed changes in their bone density by annual measurements.

13.   Bone mineral density was measured at two sites -- the left radius and the lumbar spine as described previously.

14.   Each value for bone mineral density was converted to a Z-score using the reference data of Cann and Genant.

15.   Each patient had three measurements of bone mineral density and rates of bone loss were estimated by linear regression for each subject.

16.   The increase in both forearm and spinal bone mineral density achieved statistical significance in absolute units, percentage per annum, and also in the Z-score.

17.   There was no significant correlation between the improvements in bone mineral density and the patients age or the number of years postmenopause.

18.   The correlations between steroid dose and the changes in bone mineral density were not statistically significant.

19.   It shows that oral treatment with a standard dose of oestrogen not only prevents bone loss but after two years produced a significant improvement in bone density.

20.   The percentage improvement in spinal bone mineral density is similar to that reported in normal women receiving this dose of oestrogen.