The Deadly Cost of Avoiding Estrogen After Hysterectomy
How Many Women Died Because They Avoided Estrogen?
This sobering analysis estimates that approximately 50,000 women aged 50-59 died prematurely between 2002-2011 because they avoided estrogen therapy after hysterectomy due to fear created by the Women’s Health Initiative. These excess deaths occurred despite evidence that estrogen-only therapy actually reduces mortality risk in younger women who have had hysterectomies.
Dr. Kumar’s Take
This represents one of the most tragic consequences of medical misinformation in modern history. The WHI’s findings were misinterpreted and overgeneralized, leading to widespread fear of estrogen therapy even in women who would clearly benefit from it. Fifty thousand preventable deaths is not just a statistic; it represents mothers, daughters, and sisters who died prematurely because the medical community failed to properly interpret and communicate research findings.