Hormone therapy and the progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

Background: In postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease, conjugated equine estrogen with or without continuous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate has failed to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Whether 17beta-estradiol (the endogenous estrogen molecule) alone or administered sequentially with medroxyprogesterone acetate can slow the progression of atherosclerosis is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 226 postmenopausal women (mean age, 63.