News from the WHI Study

4/25/2025

WHI Funding Announcement

WHI Funding Update (April 25, 2025)

Since the announcement of the funding cuts to the Women’s Health Initiative program earlier this week, WHI investigators have fielded numerous questions from media who are following this story closely. We have also received many messages of support from a wide range of stakeholders—our participants, colleagues, former staff, professional societies, foundations, legislators and the general public. We have been humbled and encouraged by this show of support—it emphasizes the value placed on high quality population science, and specifically chronic disease research among post-menopausal women. We are grateful to everyone who has reached out.

We were initially given verbal notice about two weeks ago of the decision that Regional Center contracts would terminate in September 2025. Formal notice was to follow. Shortly thereafter we received an email confirming that these funding decisions had been approved by NIH leadership. We have not yet received this formal notice. We believe NIH gave us advance notice so that we could plan for an orderly study close-out process—something that takes months to implement in a large study such as the WHI.

We are aware of reports in the media that this decision to terminate Regional Center contracts was reversed. At this point, we have not received confirmation from NIH in any form that this is the case. This leaves us in a place of uncertainty. Our approach for now is to proceed with the latest information that was given to us, while remaining hopeful that public statements will become official actions. We will continue to follow our dedicated participants and support this unparalleled research infrastructure for as long as we are able. We look forward to seeing many WHI investigators at our annual meeting in Seattle next week where some of the newest scientific results from WHI will be shared.

We will provide additional updates here, when available.

WHI Funding Announcement (April 21, 2025)

Today, Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) investigators were informed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will terminate WHI Regional Center (RC) contracts at the end of their current fiscal year (September 2025). The WHI Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) will continue operations until January 2026, after which time its funding remains uncertain. While written notification has yet to be received, investigators have been advised to expect formal confirmation soon.

Impact on WHI Research & Operations

The full implications of these funding cuts are still being determined, but these contract terminations will significantly impact ongoing research and data collection—especially the detailed participant health event data collected by RC staff. The loss of this critical data stream would severely limit WHI’s ability to generate new insights into the health of older women, one of the fastest-growing segments of our population.

If CCC funding were to cease in early 2026, it would greatly reduce access to WHI’s unparalleled high-quality women’s health dataset and biorepository, and thus opportunities for new discoveries and future scientific advancements.

RCs and the CCC play a vital role in scientific collaboration, supporting investigators across multiple disciplines. RCs help organize scientific interest groups, fostering new ideas and collaborations that keep WHI innovative, productive, and efficient. The loss of these research hubs could significantly hinder the exchange of knowledge within the scientific community.

The Value of WHI: 30 Years of Scientific Impact on Chronic Diseases

Since the 1990s, WHI has led groundbreaking research in women’s health, generating findings that have shaped clinical practice and public health policies in the United States. Some key facts:

  • 161,808 women (ages 50-79) were enrolled in WHI’s studies in the mid-1990s across 40 Clinical Centers nationwide.

  • Over 42,000 participants (ages 78-108) remain actively involved today.

  • WHI’s research has helped reduce rates of cancer and other diseases, influencing clinical guidelines for multiple health factors.

  • As a specific example, the estrogen plus progestin trial led to a dramatic shift in menopausal hormone therapy prescriptions, preventing an estimated 126 000 breast cancer cases and 76 000 fewer cardiovascular disease cases over the decade following the release of the results, saving an estimated $35.2 billion in direct medical costs.

  • WHI researchers have documented over:

    • 38,000 cancer cases

    • 38,000 cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, DVT/PE, etc.)

    • 70,000 bone fractures

    • 95,000 deaths

  • WHI provides a unique and comprehensive resource for studying disease risks, early detection, prevention, and aging-related health outcomes.

As WHI evolves, investigators continue exploring key aging-related health factors, including frailty, vision loss, dementia, mental health and social isolation, as well as the modifiable lifestyle factors that influence these aspects—ensuring continued contributions to long-term health insights.

WHI’s Collaborative Achievements

WHI remains one of the most productive, multidisciplinary research networks, which has enabled:

✔ Over 2400 scientific publications
✔ 342 independently funded ancillary studies, including 30 active studies
✔ Engagement over 5000 investigators in publishing results
✔ Contributions to numerous research consortia, including TOPMeD, PAGE, CHARGE, NCI’s Cancer Cohort Consortium, GECCO, ILCO
✔ Open access to WHI’s datasets via NHLBI’s BioLINCC and dbGaP

WHI has expanded its impact through collaboration and innovation, linking the WHI database to Medicare, Cancer Registries, and the National Death Index, supporting two groundbreaking clinical trials (COSMOS & WHISH) and adapting to new technologies to advance women’s health research.

What Comes Next?

WHI investigators, collaborators, and participants remain committed to protecting the integrity of this research, ensuring continued progress in understanding the health and aging of postmenopausal women. Updates will be provided as new details emerge.

For press inquiries, please contact

The WHI Regional Centers:

The WHI Clinical Coordinating Center at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: media@fredhutch.org

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THE WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE
THE WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE

The WHI program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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