What did the Women’s Health Initiative Study in 2002 actually show?
TOP The Women’s Health Initiative found that women taking the combination estrogen-progestin (Prempro –synthetic estrogen and conjugated form of progesterone) used in the study had an increased risk of developing certain serious conditions. According to the study, over one year, 10,000 women taking estrogen plus progestin compared with a placebo might experience: Seven more cases of heart disease Eight more cases of breast cancer Eight more cases of stroke 18 more cases of blood clots Based on these numbers, the increased risk of disease to an individual woman is small. However, the overall risk to menopausal women as a group became a substantial public health concern. In addition, researchers found that women taking combination estrogen-progestin had an increase in abnormal mammograms. The higher number of false-positives — signs of possible breast cancers that ultimately prove inaccurate — was probably due to estrogen, which increases breast tissue density. For women taking estrogen
