More from the Women’s Health Initiative: Benefits for Estrogen?

Women who began taking estrogen in their 50s had lower coronary-artery calcium scores than placebo users.

Although initial findings from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) indicated substantial risks to use of estrogen in postmenopausal women, a newer study showed no increase in coronary heart disease risks due to hormone therapy for any outcome in women aged 50 to 59 at HT initiation (Journal Watch Apr 10 2007). Now, in a WHI substudy, coronary-artery calcification was assessed in 1064 women who were aged 50 to 59 at randomization to conjugated equine estrogen alone (0.625 mg/day) or placebo; the women underwent computed tomography of the heart after a mean 7.4 years of treatment and 1.3 years after trial completion.

The mean coronary-artery calcium score was significantly lower with estrogen than with placebo. In an analysis restricted to dat…

Reviewing Author

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)