conjugated equine estrogens + medroxyprogesterone acetate

This intervention refers to the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimen evaluated in the Women's Angiographic Vitamin and Estrogen (WAVE) Trial, a Phase 3 study sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The therapy utilized conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg/day), either alone for women who had undergone a hysterectomy or in combination with medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/day) for those with an intact uterus. As a small molecule hormone therapy, it acts as an agonist at estrogen and progesterone receptors to mimic or supplement endogenous hormone levels. The WAVE trial specifically investigated whether this HRT regimen, along with antioxidant vitamins, could prevent the angiographic progression of coronary artery disease in postmenopausal women. The trial was completed after finding that the treatment did not inhibit the progression of coronary atherosclerosis and provided no cardiovascular benefit in the study population.

Other names

hormone replacement therapyHRTestrogen replacement therapy