Extended Follow-up of Mortality in WHI Participants: Continuing Reassurance About Hormone Therapy

Cumulative 18-year follow-up indicates prior use of systemic HT did not affect risk for overall, cardiovascular, or cancer mortality.

In 2013, Women's Health Initiative (WHI) investigators reported 13-year cumulative follow-up of two large, NIH-funded placebo-controlled randomized trials of oral estrogen or estrogen-progestin, and documented the safety of systemic hormone therapy (HT) when initiated by women aged <60 or within 10 years of menopause onset (NEJM JW Womens Health Nov 2013 and JAMA 2013; 310:1353). Now, after 18 years' cumulative follow-up, the investigators present mortality outcomes for 27,347 WHI participants (baseline mean age, 63; 81% white), who received oral estrogen-progestin (EPT) for a median of 5.6 years or estrogen only (ET) for a median of 7.2 years.

In the pooled cohort (i.e., EPT+ET), all-cause mortality was similar in the HT and placebo groups …

Reviewing Author

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Extended Follow-up of Mortality in WHI Participants: Continuing Reassurance About Hormone Therapy

Topics

Reviewing Author