Why is the Estrogen-alone study now going into a follow-up phase?
The current results show that estrogen alone does not appear to affect the risk of heart disease. At the same time, estrogen alone appears to increase the risk of stroke and decrease the risk of hip fracture. It does not appear to increase the risk of breast cancer. • The current study results indicate that the increased risk of stroke is similar to that found in the study of Estrogen plus Progestin when that trial was stopped in 2002. The NIH believes that an increased risk of stroke is not acceptable in healthy women in a research study, especially if estrogen only does not prevent heart disease. • With nearly 7 years of follow-up completed, the study results are not likely to change if study pills are continued for one more year. Thus, the NIH believes that enough data have been obtained to provide an overall assessment of the risks and benefits of the use of estrogen in this trial. • Stopping the active phase of the study will allow WHI researchers to analyze the data and make publ
