Women's Health Initiative (Hormone Therapy) Review Rossouw 2002

This is a review of the Women's Health Initiative and the associated papers with the NIH-funded research.

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study launched in 1991 by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study was designed to address some of the most common causes of death, disability, and impaired quality of life in postmenopausal women, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

The WHI included a set of clinical trials and an observational study, involving over 160,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years. The trials focused on hormone therapy, dietary modification, and calcium and vitamin D supplementation, while the observational study examined risk factors and predictors of health outcomes.

The hormone therapy arm of the study evaluated the risks and benefits of postmenopausal hormone therapy in healthy women. The study found that combined estrogen and progestin therapy increased the risk of breast cancer, stroke, blood clots, and heart disease in postmenopausal women. The findings led to a significant decrease in the use of hormone therapy among postmenopausal women in the United States.

The dietary modification arm of the study examined the effects of a low-fat diet on the risk of breast and colorectal cancer, heart disease, and other health outcomes. The study found that a low-fat diet did not significantly reduce the risk of these health outcomes.

The calcium and vitamin D supplementation arm of the study investigated the effects of daily calcium and vitamin D supplementation on the risk of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. The study found that calcium and vitamin D supplementation did not significantly reduce the risk of fractures.

Overall, the Women's Health Initiative has had a significant impact on women's health and has helped to shape clinical practice and public health policy in the United States and beyond. The study findings have contributed to a better understanding of the risks and benefits of postmenopausal hormone therapy and have highlighted the importance of lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, in promoting healthy aging in women.