There was, however, no trend for increased stroke based on years since menopause.267 The Estonian trial of HT, a study of women 50 to 64 years of age, also confirmed the findings of the WHI, with a trend toward an increase in cerebrovascular events in women taking (Table 9). The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) is an ongoing trial of women 42 to 58 years of age who are within 36 months of their final menstrual period and who were randomized to estrogen replacement in low doses (0.45 mg of CEE), transdermal formulation (50 g/wk), or combined with cyclic oral, micronized progesterone 200 mg for 12 days each month.271 The primary outcomes are progres- sion of subclinical atherosclerosis as measured by carotid intima-media thickness and coronary calcium scores, rather than stroke; however, this study will directly assess HT initi- ated soon after menopause. This study has completed enroll- ment, and initial results were presented at the meeting of the North American Menopause Society on October 3, 2012 (http://www.keepstudy.org); however, until the full data are available, no statements can be made regarding the safety of HT in this subset of women. The effective duration of use for benefit is currently unknown. Prevention Study (DOPS),258 specifically examined healthy women aged 45 to 58 years who were recently postmeno- pausal or had perimenopausal symptoms in combination with recorded postmenopausal serum follicle-stimulating hormone values (n=1006). Women had a mean time since menopause of 0.6 years, with last menstrual bleeding 3 to 24 months before study entry. Stroke was a designated (secondary) end point. A total of 502 women were randomly allocated to receive HT and 504 to receive no treatment (control; Table 9). 