title: The Women's Health Initiative could not have detected cardioprotective effects of starting hormone therapy during the menopausal transition.
abstract: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized controlled trial failed to show cardioprotection by estrogen plus progestin treatment of postmenopausal women. But by design, the WHI population was 10-fold underpowered to show cardioprotection of women starting hormone treatment during the menopausal transition. Thus, observational studies that showed cardioprotection in such women remain the only applicable clinical guide to this issue. Randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to test cardioprotection in women starting treatment during the menopausal transition.
authors.affiliation: Yale University, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8063, USA. frederick.naftolin@yale.edu
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naftolin
authors.forename: Hugh S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.forename: Eliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brinton
authors.forename: Isadore
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Clarkson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendelsohn
authors.forename: Rogerio A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: Debra R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Judelson
authors.forename: Lila E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Nachtigall
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Heward
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jaff
authors.forename: S Mitchell
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Harman
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016387:Women's Health