Conjugated equine estrogens and peripheral arterial disease risk: The women's health initiative

Background Estradiol reduced progression of ultrasonographic carotid disease in a randomized trial. No trials of unopposed estrogen for prevention of lower extremity arterial disease or aortic aneurysm have been conducted. Methods The Estrogen Alone trial randomized 10739 postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy, mean age 63.6 +/- 7.3 years, to conjugated equine estrogens (CEE 0.625 mg/d) or placebo and documented health outcomes over an average of 7.1 +/- 1.6 years. Results A trend toward increased risk of peripheral arterial events with CEE was observed (hazard ratio [HR] 1.32, 95% Cl 0.99-1.77). Carotid arterial events (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.82-1.74), lower extremity arterial events (HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.86-2.32), and abdominal aortic aneurysm (HR 2.40, 95% CI 0.92-6.23) were more frequent, but not individually significant, in the CEE group. However, the composite of lower extremity arterial disease/abdominal aortic aneurysm was significantly more frequent among women assigned to CEE (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.05-2.51). In subgroup analyses, no clear pattern of risk with CEE was apparent by age or by time since menopause. Conclusions Unopposed CEE conferred no protection against peripheral arterial disease among generally healthy postmenopausal women; in fact, there was a suggestion of increased risk.