What is the Origin of WHI Memory Study?

WHIMS was initiated in the late 1990s as a direct response to conflicting observational data suggesting a protective effect of hormone therapy on cognitive function in older women. The study's design was crucial, utilizing a large, randomized, placebo-controlled format to establish causality. Participants were women aged 65 to 79 years who were free of dementia at the start of the trial.

What is the Mechanism of WHI Memory Study?

The main finding revealed that initiating hormone therapy in this older population did not protect against cognitive decline and, critically, was associated with an increased risk of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment compared to placebo. This adverse outcome is hypothesized to be related to the effect of hormones on established subclinical vascular pathology, leading to cerebrovascular events in a susceptible older brain. The results profoundly shifted clinical practice away from prescribing hormone therapy for cognitive protection.

WHI Memory Study

Meaning

The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) was a major ancillary study of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) randomized controlled trial. Its primary objective was to rigorously assess the effect of conjugated equine estrogen-based hormone therapy, with or without progestin, on the risk of developing dementia and cognitive impairment in older postmenopausal women. The study provided definitive data regarding hormone therapy and cognitive health.