Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: July 11, 2002
Contact: Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, 401-222-2231

Recommendations To Women About Hormone Replacement Therapy

On July 10^th the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stopped a major clinical trial involving combined estrogen and progestin in healthy menopausal women early due to an increased risk of invasive breast cancer. The large multi-center trial, a component of the Women's Health Initiative(WHI), also found increases in coronary heart disease, stroke, and pulmonary embolism in study participants on estrogen plus progestin--compared to women taking placebo pills. Some benefits of estrogen plus progestin included fewer cases of hip fractures and colon cancer. On balance, however, the harm was greater than the benefit, causing scientists to stop the trial. Originally scheduled to run until 2005, the estrogen-progestin trial ceased after an average follow-up of 5.2 years. Other components of the Women’s Health Initiative continued.

Participants in this component of WHI were given progestin in combination with estrogen--like many menopausal and postmenopausal women with a uterus who take hormone therapy. Previous research shows that this treatment prevents endometrial cancer. A separate WHI study of estrogen alone in women who had a hysterectomy before joining the WHI hormone program continues unchanged because, at this point, the balance of risks and benefits of estrogen alone is still being studied.

"Science gave us some answers we didn’t have before," said Dr. Sharon Marable, Medical Director of the RI Department of Health’s (HEALTH) Office of Women’s Health. "We want to make sure women know that long-term use of this combined hormone therapy may be harmful. The key is that women should talk with their doctor about how to ensure their continued good health."

HEALTH makes the following recommendations to women in Rhode Island:

• Regular physical exercise, good nutrition and smoking cessation reduce women’s risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke.
• Routine self-examination and annual screening mammograms are very important for all older women but especially for women using hormone replacement therapy.
• Rhode Island women on the combined estrogen-progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should make an appointment with their health care provider for further advice and follow-up.

For more information, women may contact:

• Hormone Replacement Therapy -- Latest News
• NHLBI website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov
• NHLBI press release at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/02-07-09.htm
• Women’s Health Initiative Website at www.whi.org
• National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER or at www.cancer.gov

Interested physicians and other health care providers should go to: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/hrtupd/