Women's International Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause (WISDOM) [ 2002 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: E/Pr Alastair Maclennan (Principal investigator) ,  Prof John Marley

Brief description Life expectancy of Australian women has greatly increased but so have the number of 'disability years' that a woman experiences. On average a woman's last 9 years are disability years (ie in the care of others), with a reduction in quality of life and at great cost to the community. The main causes of disability are cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, dementia and incontinence, which may all be influenced by a lack of oestrogen in the post-menopausal years when the ovaries produce no more oestrogen. Does long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reduce these problems and increase the quality of life? Does HRT promote adverse effects eg. breast cancer, blood clots? Do some women benefit more than others? Are some women more at risk? What is the overall cost of HRT to the individual and the community? Do women without a uterus require just oestrogen alone or an added hormone, progestogen? These questions can never be answered without a large long-term prospective randomised placebo controlled trial, as all current non-randomised studies are open to major biases due to inequalities in the study groups through selection, healthy user effects etc. As HRT is a potential option for all women and its potential influence on many major diseases may be great both through benefit and harm, it is essential to conduct such a trial. Its size and cost requires international collaboration and Australia seeks up to 2000 volunteers to join a trial of up to 36,000 women around the world. They will take HRT or placebo for 10 years with close monitoring and medical checks, and their health records will be checked for a further 10 years. The trial is called WISDOM-Women's International Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause.

Funding Amount $AUD 208,920.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Clinical Trial/Large Scale