Best practices in care for menopausal patients: 16 years after the Women's Health Initiative

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) was a large, randomized clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health to determine whether menopause hormone therapy (MHT) prevented heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. Two WHI trials were stopped early, and the findings had a profound effect on the clinical practice guidelines related to postmenopausal health. This article provides an overview of the WHI MHT clinical trials and findings, discusses the early stoppage of the trials and subsequent implications, and details the current nomenclature and treatment options for women transitioning through menopause in light of the WHI. This study is based on a comprehensive literature review and an education activity developed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. To best serve patients and individualize therapy, clinicians must provide the best estimate of potential risks or benefits to the individual patient. It is important to balance evidence of symptom relief with long-term risks and benefits that fit the patient's characteristics of family and personal health history. Armed with evidence to support various hormonal and non-hormonal options, well-informed clinicians can counsel women about MHT and potentially avoid negative impact on quality of life.