Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS)

Summary

The study will examine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on the development of atherosclerosis in menopausal women when hormone treatment is initiated within 3 years of the menopausal transition.

Timeline

Start

2005-09

Primary completion

2012-05

Completion

2012-07

Publications

• Background Harman SM, Naftolin F, Brinton EA, Judelson DR. Is the estrogen controversy over? Deconstructing the Women's Health Initiative study: a critical evaluation of the evidence. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Jun;1052:43-56. doi: 10.1196/annals.1347.004.
• Background Harman SM, Brinton EA, Cedars M, Lobo R, Manson JE, Merriam GR, Miller VM, Naftolin F, Santoro N. KEEPS: The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. Climacteric. 2005 Mar;8(1):3-12. doi: 10.1080/13697130500042417.
• Background Harman SM, Brinton EA, Clarkson T, Heward CB, Hecht HS, Karas RH, Judelson DR, Naftolin F. Is the WHI relevant to HRT started in the perimenopause? Endocrine. 2004 Aug;24(3):195-202. doi: 10.1385/ENDO:24:3:195.
• Kantarci K, Kara F, Tosakulwong N, Fought AJ, Schwarz CG, Senjem ML, Kendall-Thomas J, Min P, Lowe VJ, Jack CR, Kapoor E, Fields JA, Bailey KR, James TT, Faubion L, Lobo RA, Manson JE, Pal L, Hammers DB, Brinton EA, Malek-Ahmadi M, Cedars MI, Naftolin FN, Santoro N, Miller VM, Harman SM, Dowling NM, Gleason CE. Long-term amyloid PET and MRI outcomes in a menopausal hormone therapy trial. Alzheimers Dement. 2026 Feb;22(2):e71067. doi: 10.1002/alz.71067.
• Kara F, Tosakulwong N, Lesnick TG, Fought AJ, Kendell-Thomas J, Kapoor E, Faubion LL, Schwarz CG, Senjem ML, Fields JA, Min PH, Lowe VJ, Jack CR Jr, Bailey KR, James TT, Lobo RA, Manson JE, Pal L, Hammers DB, Malek-Ahmadi M, Cedars MI, Naftolin FN, Santoro N, Miller VM, Harman SM, Dowling NM, Gleason CE, Kantarci K. Associations of blood pressure with white matter hyperintensities later in life; influence of short-term menopausal hormone therapy. Menopause. 2025 Jan 1;32(1):12-22. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002481.
• Kling JM, Dowling NM, Bimonte-Nelson H, Gleason CE, Kantarci K, Stonnington CM, Harman SM, Naftolin F, Pal L, Cedars M, Manson JE, James TT, Brinton EA, Miller VM. Associations between pituitary-ovarian hormones and cognition in recently menopausal women independent of type of hormone therapy. Maturitas. 2023 Jan;167:113-122. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.10.002. Epub 2022 Oct 27.
• Kling JM, Miller VM, Tosakulwong N, Lesnick T, Kantarci K. Associations of pituitary-ovarian hormones and white matter hyperintensities in recently menopausal women using hormone therapy. Menopause. 2020 Aug;27(8):872-878. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001557.
• El Khoudary SR, Venugopal V, Manson JE, Brooks MM, Santoro N, Black DM, Harman M, Naftolin F, Hodis HN, Brinton EA, Miller VM, Taylor HS, Budoff MJ. Heart fat and carotid artery atherosclerosis progression in recently menopausal women: impact of menopausal hormone therapy: The KEEPS trial. Menopause. 2020 Mar;27(3):255-262. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001472.
• El Khoudary SR, Zhao Q, Venugopal V, Manson JE, Brooks MM, Santoro N, Black DM, Harman SM, Cedars MI, Hopkins PN, Kearns AE, Miller VM, Taylor HS, Budoff MJ. Effects of Hormone Therapy on Heart Fat and Coronary Artery Calcification Progression: Secondary Analysis From the KEEPS Trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Aug 6;8(15):e012763. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012763. Epub 2019 Aug 1.
• Jayawardena E, Li D, Nakanishi R, Dey D, Dailing C, Qureshi A, Dickens B, Hathiramani N, Kim M, Flores F, Kearns AE, Lui LY, Black D, Budoff MJ. Non-contrast cardiac CT-based quantitative evaluation of epicardial and intra-thoracic fat in healthy, recently menopausal women: Reproducibility data from the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2020 Jan-Feb;14(1):55-59. doi: 10.1016/j.jcct.2019.05.004. Epub 2019 May 4.
• Taylor HS, Tal A, Pal L, Li F, Black DM, Brinton EA, Budoff MJ, Cedars MI, Du W, Hodis HN, Lobo RA, Manson JE, Merriam GR, Miller VM, Naftolin F, Neal-Perry G, Santoro NF, Harman SM. Effects of Oral vs Transdermal Estrogen Therapy on Sexual Function in Early Postmenopause: Ancillary Study of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS). JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Oct 1;177(10):1471-1479. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3877.
• Cintron D, Beckman JP, Bailey KR, Lahr BD, Jayachandran M, Miller VM. Plasma orexin A levels in recently menopausal women during and 3 years following use of hormone therapy. Maturitas. 2017 May;99:59-65. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.01.016. Epub 2017 Feb 17.
• Owen CM, Pal L, Mumford SL, Freeman R, Isaac B, McDonald L, Santoro N, Taylor HS, Wolff EF. Effects of hormones on skin wrinkles and rigidity vary by race/ethnicity: four-year follow-up from the ancillary skin study of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. Fertil Steril. 2016 Oct;106(5):1170-1175.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.023. Epub 2016 Jul 5.
• Gleason CE, Dowling NM, Wharton W, Manson JE, Miller VM, Atwood CS, Brinton EA, Cedars MI, Lobo RA, Merriam GR, Neal-Perry G, Santoro NF, Taylor HS, Black DM, Budoff MJ, Hodis HN, Naftolin F, Harman SM, Asthana S. Effects of Hormone Therapy on Cognition and Mood in Recently Postmenopausal Women: Findings from the Randomized, Controlled KEEPS-Cognitive and Affective Study. PLoS Med. 2015 Jun 2;12(6):e1001833; discussion e1001833. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001833. eCollection 2015 Jun.
• Harman SM, Black DM, Naftolin F, Brinton EA, Budoff MJ, Cedars MI, Hopkins PN, Lobo RA, Manson JE, Merriam GR, Miller VM, Neal-Perry G, Santoro N, Taylor HS, Vittinghoff E, Yan M, Hodis HN. Arterial imaging outcomes and cardiovascular risk factors in recently menopausal women: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2014 Aug 19;161(4):249-60. doi: 10.7326/M14-0353.
• Dowling NM, Gleason CE, Manson JE, Hodis HN, Miller VM, Brinton EA, Neal-Perry G, Santoro MN, Cedars M, Lobo R, Merriam GR, Wharton W, Naftolin F, Taylor H, Harman SM, Asthana S. Characterization of vascular disease risk in postmenopausal women and its association with cognitive performance. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 17;8(7):e68741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068741. Print 2013.
• Ogorodnikova AD, Khan UI, McGinn AP, Zeb I, Budoff MJ, Harman SM, Miller VM, Brinton EA, Manson JE, Hodis HN, Merriam GR, Cedars MI, Taylor HS, Naftolin F, Lobo RA, Santoro N, Wildman RP. Ectopic fat and adipokines in metabolically benign overweight/obese women: the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 Aug;21(8):1726-33. doi: 10.1002/oby.20200. Epub 2013 May 13.
• Farr JN, Khosla S, Miyabara Y, Miller VM, Kearns AE. Effects of estrogen with micronized progesterone on cortical and trabecular bone mass and microstructure in recently postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Feb;98(2):E249-57. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-3406. Epub 2013 Jan 15.
• Wolff EF, He Y, Black DM, Brinton EA, Budoff MJ, Cedars MI, Hodis HN, Lobo RA, Manson JE, Merriam GR, Miller VM, Naftolin F, Pal L, Santoro N, Zhang H, Harman SM, Taylor HS. Self-reported menopausal symptoms, coronary artery calcification, and carotid intima-media thickness in recently menopausal women screened for the Kronos early estrogen prevention study (KEEPS). Fertil Steril. 2013 Apr;99(5):1385-91. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.11.053. Epub 2013 Jan 8.
• Huang G, Wang D, Khan UI, Zeb I, Manson JE, Miller V, Hodis HN, Budoff MJ, Merriam GR, Harman MS, Brinton EA, Cedars MI, Su Y, Lobo RA, Naftolin F, Santoro N, Taylor HS, Wildman RP. Associations between retinol-binding protein 4 and cardiometabolic risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis in recently postmenopausal women: cross-sectional analyses from the KEEPS study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2012 May 15;11:52. doi: 10.1186/1475-2840-11-52.
• Huang G, Wang D, Zeb I, Budoff MJ, Harman SM, Miller V, Brinton EA, El Khoudary SR, Manson JE, Sowers MR, Hodis HN, Merriam GR, Cedars MI, Taylor HS, Naftolin F, Lobo RA, Santoro N, Wildman RP. Intra-thoracic fat, cardiometabolic risk factors, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in healthy, recently menopausal women screened for the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS). Atherosclerosis. 2012 Mar;221(1):198-205. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.12.004. Epub 2011 Dec 9.
• Henderson VW. Aging, estrogens, and episodic memory in women. Cogn Behav Neurol. 2009 Dec;22(4):205-14. doi: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e3181a74ce7.
• Mulvagh SL, Behrenbeck T, Lahr BA, Bailey KR, Zais TG, Araoz PA, Miller VM. Endothelial function and cardiovascular risk stratification in menopausal women. Climacteric. 2010 Feb;13(1):45-54. doi: 10.3109/13697130902943287.

Drugs

Indications