WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE UPDATE: Surprise! Menopausal Symptoms Return After Stopping HT

This is another report from the discontinued, estrogen-progestin arm of the WHI's hormone therapy trial. In this arm, 16,608 postmenopausal women who had not had hysterectomy were randomized to receive either conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/day) or placebo (Journal Watch Women's Health Aug 7 2002). Clinicians are well aware that menopausal symptoms are likely to return in women who discontinue HT, but which …