Takeaway
- Oestrogen replacement in women with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and hysterectomy prior to age 60 years may have some benefit.
Why this matters
- Ovarian status and age when beginning hormone replacement therapy may attenuate risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women.
Key results
- Oestrogen replacement did not improve outcomes in women without BSO:
- Cumulative follow-up for global index HR, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.90-1.08).
- Women with BSO who received oestrogen prior to the age of 60 years had better long-term outcomes compared with those who received oestrogen after age 70 years:
- Cumulative follow-up all-cause mortality HR, 0.68 (P=.034).
Study design
- Subgroup analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).
- Cohort taken from the WHI Estrogen-Alone trial.
- Women aged 50-79 years with hysterectomy and known oophorectomy status were identified (n=9939).
- Participants who received conjugated equine oestrogen (0.625 mg/day) (n=5310) were compared with placebo (n=5429).
- Outcomes included coronary heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, pulmonary embolism, colorectal cancer, and hip fracture.
- Funding: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; and US Department of Health and Human Services; Wyeth Ayerst donated the study drugs.
Limitations
- Timing of oestrogen supplementation varied across participants.
References
References