Hormone Research Continues

What's next?

The Women's Health Initiative recruited 27,000 women for its study of hormone therapy. Although the average age at which women first report menopausal symptoms is 51, the average age of those starting HRT in this study was 63.

Two new studies are emphasizing the effect of HRT when it begins much closer to the onset of menopause:

The Early Versus Late Intervention Trial With Estradiol study compares the progression of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, when HRT is given to women who have recently stopped menstruating vs. women who have been in menopause 10 years or more. Findings are to be released in 2010.

The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study tracks 728 newly menopausal women to determine whether a combination of estrogen and progestin prevents or reduces the progression of atherosclerosis. Findings are to be released in 2012.