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Despite wide publicity, the landmark 2002 study on the potential dangers of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women is completely unknown to most women.
New research from Stanford University School of Medicine found that only 29% of women surveyed knew anything about the study two years later. In addition, only 40% of women were able to identify the possible risks and benefits of hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy is used to relieve your menopausal symptoms, but it has also been widely prescribed for preventative purposes, in part based on previous observational studies that had suggested that it may help protect women against them. heart disease, weak bones and dementia.
In July 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) abruptly ended its study on the combination of estrogen and progestins because their data revealed higher rates of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes. brain and blood clots in the population taking the hormones, compared to taking placebos.
Later, in April 2004, WHI also discontinued the part of the study for the estrogen-only treatment, after finding that the hormone offered no protective prevention of heart disease, but instead increased your risk of heart disease. stroke and blood clots.
WHI’s findings triggered huge changes in hormone therapy use, and prescriptions fell 38% in 2003.
Lead author Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, said their latest survey indicated that there was a huge problem in effectively communicating critical health information to patients, which in turn signals a problem still bigger – ensuring that people can make informed decisions about their medical care.
Women’s Health Initiative June 21, 2007
WHI March 2, 2007 (Estrogen-Alone Study Links)
Women’s Health Initiative (Estrogen Plus Progestin Study Links)
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