Confusion Over Results of Study Leave Women Guessing

Confusion over Study Results Leave Women Guessing

"Women are being flooded with a lot of information from these studies," said Sherry Marts of the Society for Women's Health Research. "The challenge is trying to put this rush of information in context."

Many researchers emphasized the fact that the Women’s Health Initiative Study was in many ways very well conceived, designed and executed, and has produced valuable information. The most important aspect of their findings was the warning it gave older menopausal women about the dangers of long-term hormone therapy.

"It's the most important trial of the century," said Adriane-Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University School of Medicine. "It gave us scads of incredibly valuable information. It's important not to lose sight of that."

A major concern that still lies with many scientists is that the recent findings will allow the public to feel more comfortable, therefore making them less concerned with diet and other lifestyle choices, which are very important to the overall benefits of hormone therapy, and thus, leaving the government hesitant to fund research.

"If the public and legislators come away saying, 'Oh, we can never get an answer from these scientists. It's useless to spend money testing diet' -- then a lot of damage will have been done," said Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health. "Nutrition is important. We've already learned a lot that offers people plenty of sound advice. But there is a lot more we can learn. We just have to approach it in a smarter way."

The confusion, unclear results, and the wrong turns that have become clear only in hindsight, have left many researchers chastened about attempting such ambitious projects in the future.

"It's very sobering," Byers said. "What it says for the future is that when we do studies, especially studies that are big and expensive and long, we have to make sure we are testing the right interventions and testing them the right way. That can be a lot harder than it seems."

Megan Mathews, Research and Content, March 10, 2006