What is the Womens Health Initiative (WHI)?
The Women’s Health Initiative is a 12-year study to investigate the major causes of disease and death in postmenopausal women. It includes both a randomized clinical trial (RCT) and an observational study. The RCT includes three studies: – A trial of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) versus placebo that will determine if HRT reduces heart disease, osteoporotic fractures and colon cancer. It also will assess potential risks, including breast cancer and thrombic events. – A trial of dietary fat reduction versus usual diet to see if reduction in fat will result in a reduction in heart disease, breast cancer and colon cancer. – A trial of calcium and vitamin D (CaD) versus placebo to determine if CaD will reduce osteoporotic fractures and colon cancer. The observational study records a variety of factors, intakes and activities in postmenopausal women and looks for associations with various health outcomes. A total of 160,000 women have joined the study nationally. Nearly 4,000 women joine
