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H ormone
Replacement
Therapy
A study by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)
Conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
This study was designed to investigate the long-term benefits and risks of
estrogen plus progestin therapy (combination HRT, generally prescribed to
women who have not had a hysterectomy).
The combination HRT component of the WHI study was discontinued after an
average follow-up of 5.2 years because the risks outweighed the benefits.
This study was not designed to assess the relief of menopausal symptoms,
such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
The following results are from the combination HRT component of the study.
The estrogen alone component of the study continues.
Understanding the results of the combination HRT component
The chart below outlines the increase/decrease in health
events per 10,000 women annually for those not taking HRT (placebo) vs.
those taking combination HRT.
|
10,000 women/year taking placebo |
10,000 women/year taking combination HRT |
Difference per year |
|
Breast cancer |
30 |
38 |
8 more women with breast cancer |
|
Heart attacks |
30 |
37 |
7 more women with heart attacks |
|
Strokes |
21 |
29 |
8 more women with strokes |
|
Blood clots |
16 |
34 |
18 more women with blood clots |
|
Colorectal cancer * |
16 |
10 |
6 fewer women with colorectal cancer |
|
Hip fractures * |
15 |
10 |
5 fewer women with hip fractures |
* HRT is not indicated for the prevention or treatment of
Colorectal cancer or hip fractures.
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