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Thyroid Issues in the News
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Estrogen Update
Important Update - July, 2002
In July, 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called an early halt
to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study of the risks and benefits
of combined estrogen and progestin in healthy menopausal women.
The study was stopped due to an increased risk of invasive breast
cancer. Study participants taking estrogen plus progestin were also
found to have increases in coronary heart disease, stroke, and pulmonary
embolism compared to women taking placebo pills.
You can read the press release from the National Institutes of
Health about why the study was halted here.
The results of this study were published in the Journal of
the American Medical Association (JAMA). Risks and Benefits
of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Menopausal Women JAMA 2002;
288: 321-333. You can find this article on JAMA's
website.
If you are taking estrogen plus progestin to combat the symptoms
of menopause and are concerned by this update, please discuss those
concerns with your doctor. It is very important that you not decide
to stop taking any medication without first discussing it with your
physician. There may be dangers to suddenly stopping a medication
that you are unaware of.
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