HRT gets another chance

Privately funded 5-year US trial will test effects of early estrogen

| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

Researchers have finished designing the privately funded randomized clinical trial intended to explore the now-contrarian notion of hormone replacement: that it can, after all, thwart development of cardiovascular disease if women begin using it soon after menopause and use less of it. The study is moving forward despite recent disheartening research results that have led millions of women to abandon hormone replacement.

Beginning in September, the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) will enroll 90 women between 40 and 55 at each of eight participating US medical centers. KEEPS will compare a .45-mg oral dose of Premarin (conjugated horse estrogens) or a skin patch containing synthetic estradiol—said to be identical to the human ovarian estrogen—with placebo. For 10 days a month, women taking estrogen who still have a uterus will also use Prochieve, a vaginal gel containing 4% progesterone that is believed to have few systemic effects.

KEEPS' surrogate endpoints ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Tabitha Powledge

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide