Reassuring news for the younger menopausal set

Investigators did a final sort through data from this trial that made headline news 4 years ago. They looked at risks of heart disease in younger women (ages 50-59) randomized to Premarin only or placebo. Women in this part of the WHI had undergone hysterectomies prior to entering the study so no progestogens were needed.

Women in this age group ordinarily do not have heart attacks no matter what they do, so the numbers of affected participants were small. Nevertheless, those in the treatment group were 40% less likely to have a heart attack or die from coronary heart disease compared with the group on no estrogen at all.

While experts still agree that HRT should NOT be used for heart attack prevention, these results are reassuring to women who choose to use estrogen for symptom control as they enter menopause.