Prempro

The main problem with the Women's Health Initiative, skeptics say, was that the average age of hormone trial participants was about 63.

By that time, the naysayers argue, atherosclerosis has too big of a head start on estrogen.

Another criticism: The initiative tested only Premarin and The skeptics say the effects of estradiol, an estrogen made by premenopausal women's ovaries, remains to be seen.

In their defense, scientists with the Women's Health Initiative note that about 30% of hormone trial participants were in their 50s when they enrolled, and Premarin and A Wyeth-funded sub-study of women 65-79 who took part in the hormone trials brought more bad news: Hormone therapy did not protect women that age against a decline in cognitive function and actually increased dementia risk.

Given the estrogen-plus-progestin findings, the FDA began advising women to go on hormone therapy (HT) only to relieve menopausal symptoms and then only at the lowest dose for as short a time as possible.

(The term hormone replacement ther...

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