Estrogen Update

Important Update - July, 2002

In July, 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called an early halt to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study of the risks and benefits of combined estrogen and progestin in healthy menopausal women. The study was stopped due to an increased risk of invasive breast cancer. Study participants taking estrogen plus progestin were also found to have increases in coronary heart disease, stroke, and pulmonary embolism compared to women taking placebo pills.

You can read the press release from the National Institutes of Health about why the study was halted here.

The results of this study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Menopausal Women JAMA 2002; 288: 321-333. You can find this article on JAMA's website.

If you are taking estrogen plus progestin to combat the symptoms of menopause and are concerned by this update, please discuss those concerns with your doctor. It is very important that you not decide to stop taking any medication without first discussing it with your physician. There may be dangers to suddenly stopping a medication that you are unaware of.

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