| Include | Exclude | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Generally healthy postmenopausal women eligible for menopausal hormone therapy. Characteristics of enrolled participants are applicable to the U.S. primary care population. | Animals, men, premenopausal women, postmenopausal women with contraindications for hormone therapy use, or populations not applicable to U.S. primary care. |
| Interventions | Estrogen only or combined with progestin for prevention of chronic conditions. Medications are available for use in the United States. | Contraceptives, other hormones, or treatment of menopausal symptoms. |
| Outcomes | Health outcomes include mortality, fractures; coronary heart disease; stroke; venous thromboembolism; breast, colorectal, endometrial, and ovarian cancer; cholecystitis; cognition; urinary incontinence; and others. | Menopausal symptoms; intermediate health outcomes, such as lipid levels or bone mineral density. |
| Study types and designs | English-language randomized, controlled trials published in 2002 or later. | Observational studies (case-control and cohort) or case studies. |
| Duration | 1 year of treatment. | Less than 1 year of treatment. |
From: Appendix B, Detailed Methods
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