 |
OBSERVATIONAL STUDY FACT SHEET
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY?
The WHI observational study (OS) had several goals. These
goals included:
- To give reliable estimates of the extent to which known
risk factors to predict heart disease, cancers and fractures;
- To identify "new" risk factors for these and other
diseases in women;
- To compare risk factors, presence of disease at the start
of the study, and new occurrences of disease during the WHI across all study
components; and
- To create a future resource to identify biological
indicators of disease, especially substances and factors found in blood.
HOW WAS THE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED?
The observational study enlisted 93,676
postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 to 79. The health of OS
participants was tracked over an average of eight years.
Women who joined this study filled out periodic health forms
and also visited the clinic three years after enrollment. OS participants
were not
required to take any medication or change their health habits. It did,
however, follow a woman's health over a long period of time.
The OS provided information that complemented that obtained
in the CT.
|
 |