The table below summarizes the available evidence on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy. Included
are all randomized trials and meta-analyses looking at disease incidence or mortality. Inclusion of observational trials was dependent on size:
case-control studies with 500 or more cases of the disease and cohort studies with at least 2,000 women
are included here.
The year noted is when the study results were published. The name following the title of the study is the last
name of the first author on the publication.
E = estrogen; P = progestin
|
Year
|
Study
|
Study Type
|
Participants
|
Hormones
|
Results
|
Other Notes
|
|
1985
|
Framingham Heart Study, Wilson
|
Cohort
|
1,234
|
E
|
Increases risk 100%
|
Majority of women used estrogen
|
|
1993
|
Finucane
|
Cohort
|
1,910
|
E
|
Decreases risk of fatal stroke 63%
|
|
|
1999
|
Grodstein (A)
|
Cohort
|
9,236
|
E, E + P
|
No significant difference in risk
|
Same result for E vs. E + P
|
|
2000
|
Nurses' Health Study, Grodstein
|
Cohort
|
70,533
|
E, E + P
|
35% increased risk with E alone
and 63% with E + P
|
20 years follow-up
|
|
2001
|
Women's Estrogen for Stroke Trial
(WEST), Viscoli
|
Randomized
|
664
|
E
|
Increases risk of fatal stroke 190% during first 6 months
|
Participants had recently had ischemic
stroke or transient ischemic attack
|
|
2001
|
Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement
Study (HERS), Simon
|
Randomized
|
2,763
|
E + P
|
No significant effect on risk among
women with coronary heart disease
|
4.1 years follow-up
|
|
2002
|
Women's Health Initiative
|
Randomized
|
16,608
|
E + P
|
Increases risk 41%
|
Average follow-up 5.2 years
|
|