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Data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) continue to provide insight into the effects of estrogen therapy on menopausal symptoms. In a post hoc analysis of the placebo-controlled, estrogen-only component of the WHI trial, researchers evaluated the relation between estrogen use and joint symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 years later in which they reported any experience of mild, moderate, or severe joint pain or swelling.
Joint pain was reported by 77% of participants at baseline. At 1 year, pain was reported less commonly in the estrogen group than the placebo group (76.3% vs. 79.2%, P=0.0001) and mean joint pain scores (range, 0–3) were modestly lower (1.16 vs. 1.22, P=0.0001). At 3 years, 72.5…