Women’s Health Initiative

“The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)
is a long-term national health study funded by the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI”.1

Date

What can it be important to be clear about with hormone therapy (HT) information?

It can be important to be clear about the date of all information including the date of HT information, because this information may have been updated.

Symptoms or Chronic Conditions

What can it also be important to be clear about with HT information?

It can also be important to be clear about whether HT information is about the use of HT for the management of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness; or for the prevention of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, and osteoporotic fractures.

Women’s Health Initiative

What is the (United States) Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)?

In About WHI the WHI elaborate on:

“The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI”.2

Goal

What is the goal of the WHI?

In Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): What Is the Goal of the WHI? the (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) explain:

“The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is a long-term national health study that focuses on strategies for preventing heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. These chronic diseases are the major causes of death, disability, and frailty in older women of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds”.3

Original WHI Study Dates

When was the original WHI study?

In About WHI the WHI note:

“The original WHI study began in the early 1990s and concluded in 2005”.4

Original WHI Study

In the original WHI study, what were the three parts?

In Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): What Is the Goal of the WHI? the NHLBI explain:

“The original WHI study had three parts—a clinical trial, an observational study, and a community prevention study—and completed data collection in 2005”.5

Heart Disease

What did the WHI find about hormone replacement therapy and heart disease?

In Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): At A Glance the NHLBI note:


  • “The WHI found that hormone replacement therapy did not prevent heart disease in postmenopausal women as once thought”.6

Hormone Replacement Therapy

What did the WHI’s first results for hormone therapy in 2002 show?

In The Controversial History of Hormone Replacement Therapy: Abstract the authors elaborate on:

“After the announcement of the first results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in 2002, which showed that HRT had more detrimental than beneficial effects, HRT use dropped. The negative results of the study received wide publicity, creating panic among some users and new guidance for doctors on prescribing HRT. The clear message from the media was that HRT had more risks than benefits for all women. In the following years, a reanalysis of the WHI trial was performed, and new studies showed that the use of HRT in younger women or in early postmenopausal women had a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing coronary disease and all-cause mortality. Notwithstanding this, the public opinion on HRT has not changed yet, leading to important negative consequences for women’s health and quality of life”.7

Extension Studies

What are the WHI’s extension studies?

In About WHI the WHI explain:

“Since 2005, the WHI has continued as Extension Studies, which are annual collections of health updates and outcomes in active participants. The second Extension Study enrolled 93,500 women in 2010 and follow-up of these women continues annually”.8

Extension Studies Main Areas of Research

What are the extension studies main areas of research?

In About WHI the WHI elaborate on:

“As with the original WHI study, the main areas of research are cardiovascular disease, cancers, and osteoporotic fractures. While WHI continues to focus on strategies to prevent the major causes of death, disability, and frailty in older women, the breadth and richness of the WHI data allow for the exploration and investigation of many more research questions on women’s health and aging”.9

01 May 2024 Update – Chronic Disease Prevention

What do the authors conclude about the prevention of cardiovascular disease or other chronic diseases in The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice, published 01 May 2024?

In The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance the authors conclude:

“For postmenopausal women, the WHI randomized clinical trials do not support menopausal hormone therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease or other chronic diseases”.10

01 May 2024 Update – Vasomotor Symptoms

What do the authors conclude about vasomotor symptoms in The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice?

In The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance the authors conclude:

“Menopausal hormone therapy is appropriate to treat bothersome vasomotor symptoms among women in early menopause, without contraindications, who are interested in taking hormone therapy”.11

01 May 2024 Update – Routine Supplementation

What do the authors conclude about routine supplementation in The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice?

In The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance the authors conclude:

“The WHI evidence does not support routine supplementation with calcium plus vitamin D for menopausal women to prevent fractures or a low-fat diet with increased fruits, vegetables, and grains to prevent breast or colorectal cancer. A potential role of a low-fat dietary pattern in reducing breast cancer mortality, a secondary outcome, warrants further study”.12

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use HT?

On page four of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 2. What Is MHT? the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS note:

Women’s Health Initiative

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to the Women’s Health Initiative?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Women’s Health Initiative?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  2. A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Menopause Guidelines
  3. About WHI
  4. Association Between Insomnia, Stress Events, and Other Psychosocial Factors and Incident Atrial Fibrillation In Postmenopausal Women: Insights From the Women’s Health Initiative
  5. BMS & WHC’s 2020 Recommendations on Hormone Replacement Therapy In Menopausal Women
  6. BMS TV: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  7. BMS TV: HRT and Breast Cancer: Overall Risks and Benefits
  8. BMS TV: HRT and the Risk of Breast Cancer
  9. BMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  10. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  11. Blood Pressure Control and Glaucoma Risk In Postmenopausal Women: An Analysis From the Women’s Health Initiative
  12. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  13. Chocolate Consumption In Relation To All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality In Women: The Women’s Health Initiative
  14. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Healthcare Visit
  15. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Impact of Estrogen Deficiency on Quality of Life In Asia and the Role of Continuous Combined MHT In Treatment (EN)
  16. Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In New Video
  17. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  18. Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society: Australia and New Zealand]
  19. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  20. First Symptoms of Menopause
  21. Getting At the Heart of Needs In Women’s Heart Health
  22. Guidance on Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  23. HRT Questions Answered
  24. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  25. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  26. HRT: Summary
  27. HRT: The History – HRT Timeline
  28. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  29. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  30. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
  31. Hormone Therapy: Four Things A Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Specialist Wants You To Know [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Name Super/CG: Taryn Smith, M.D./Internal Medicine/Mayo Clinic]
  32. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  33. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  34. Infertility and Risk of Heart Failure In the Women’s Health Initiative
  35. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  36. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – After the Menopause [Other Languages and Formats]
  37. Long-Term Changes To Cardiovascular Biomarkers After Hormone Therapy In the Women’s Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Clinical Trials
  38. Longitudinal Patterns of Abdominal Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue, Total Body Composition, and Anthropometric Measures In Postmenopausal Women: Results From the Women’s Health Initiative
  39. Managing Your Symptoms
  40. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Lifestyle Changes To Reduce Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
  41. Menopausal Hormone Therapy Trends Before Versus After 2002: Impact of the Women’s Health Initiative Study Results
  42. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk
  43. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer
  44. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Change In Physical Activity In the Women’s Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Clinical Trials
  45. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Venous Thromboembolism
  46. Menopausal Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke
  47. Menopause
  48. Menopause
  49. Menopause
    Women’s Health Initiative
  50. Menopause Management Options
  51. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Women’s Health Initiative
  52. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
  53. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
  54. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
  55. Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease and Using HRT To Treat Menopause Symptoms
  56. Menopause and Musculoskeletal Health [Video]
  57. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Women’s Health Initiative
  58. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024
  59. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  60. Metabolomic Evaluation of Air Pollution-Related Bone Damage and Potential Mediation In Women’s Health Initiative Participants
  61. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  62. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  63. News From the WHI Study. WHI Funding Announcement. WHI Funding Update [06 May 2025, 25 April 2025…]
  64. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, United States]
    Women’s Health Initiative
  65. Perimenopause
  66. Perimenopause
  67. Persistent Gap In Menopause Care 20 Years After the WHI: A Population-Based Study of Menopause-Related Symptoms and Their Management
  68. Pre-Pandemic Leukocyte Count Is Associated With Severity of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Older Women In the Women’s Health Initiative
  69. Psychosocial Stress and Bone Loss Among Postmenopausal Women: Results From the Women’s Health Initiative
  70. Q&A: At 20 Years, WHI Emphasizes Personalized Postmenopausal Care, Shared Decision-Making
  71. Reappraising 21 Years of the WHI Study: Putting the Findings In Context for Clinical Practice
  72. Relationships of Depression and Antidepressant Use With Epigenetic Age Acceleration and All-Cause Mortality Among Postmenopausal Women
  73. Shedding Light on the Menopause Experience and Demystifying Treatment
  74. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  75. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
    Women’s Health Initiative
  76. The Women’s Health Initiative
  77. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice
  78. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials of Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer: Findings In Context
  79. The Women’s Health Initiative Study and Hormone Therapy – What Have We Learned 10 Years On?
  80. The Women’s Health Initiative Trials: Clinical Messages
  81. ‘Tis But A Scratch: A Critical Review of the Women’s Health Initiative Evidence Associating Menopausal Hormone Therapy With the Risk of Breast Cancer
  82. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Cardiovascular Disease In Women
  83. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Preventing Bone Loss At Menopause
  84. Video & Podcast Library: Videos – World Menopause Day 2024: Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  85. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  86. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – The Women’s Health Initiative – What Can We Believe?
  87. Webinars: Previous – Approach To Bone Health In the Perimenopause and Postmenopause?
  88. Webinars: Previous – Changing the Paradigm for Earlier Osteoporosis Prevention
  89. Webinars: Previous – Recommendations on Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
  90. Webinars: Previous – The Perimenopause Journey: An Adaptive Reproductive Phase – Webinar
  91. What Is Menopause? [+ Video]
  92. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  93. Whi.org [Women’s Health Initiative]
  94. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)
  95. Women’s Health Initiative: Recent Publications
  96. World Menopause Day 2023
  97. World Menopause Day 2023: Patient Information Leaflet
  98. World Menopause Day [18 October 2024]: Leaflet for Women [Multiply Languages]
    Women’s Health Initiative
  99. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women – The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone
  100. Women’s Health Initiative World Menopause Day 2024: The IMS White Paper: Menopause and MHT In 2024: Addressing the Key Controversies [Multiply Languages]

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. About WHI. Women’s Health Initiative https://www.whi.org/about-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  2. About WHI. Women’s Health Initiative https://www.whi.org/about-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  3. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): What Is the Goal of the WHI? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  4. About WHI. Women’s Health Initiative https://www.whi.org/about-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  5. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): What Is the Goal of the WHI? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  6. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): At A Glance. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  7. Cagannci, A. and Venier, M. The Controversial History of Hormone Replacement Therapy: Abstract. Published Online 18 September 2019 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6780820/ Accessed: 24 April 2025
  8. About WHI. Women’s Health Initiative https://www.whi.org/about-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  9. About WHI. Women’s Health Initiative https://www.whi.org/about-whi Accessed: 24 April 2025
  10. Manson, J.A, E. Crandall, C. J., Rossouw, J. E. et al. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance. 01 May 2024 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/ Accessed: 24 April 2025
  11. Manson, J.A, E. Crandall, C. J., Rossouw, J. E. et al. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance. 01 May 2024 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/ Accessed: 24 April 2025
  12. Manson, J.A, E. Crandall, C. J., Rossouw, J. E. et al. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice: Abstract – Conclusions and Relevance. 01 May 2024 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/ Accessed: 24 April 2025
Topic Last Updated: 19 May 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 24 April 2025

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