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WHI Study

Meaning

The WHI Study, or Women’s Health Initiative Study, is a large-scale, long-term national health study in the United States that investigated the effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy, diet, and calcium/vitamin D supplementation on major chronic diseases in women. Its initial, widely publicized findings regarding the combined use of estrogen and progestin significantly altered the clinical landscape and prescribing practices for menopausal hormone therapy. The study remains a foundational, though often re-interpreted, reference point in female endocrinology.