Advancing Postmenopausal Preventive Therapy

To conduct a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effects of TSEC therapy on the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy postmenopausal women. A total of 360 postmenopausal women with a uterus who are within 6 years of menopause and 45-59 years of age and without clinical cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus will be randomized to Bazedoxifene/Conjugated Equine Estrogen (BZA 20 mg/CE 0.45 mg) or placebo. Recruitment will occur over 3 years and the treatment period will be up to 3 years depending on when an individual is randomized. Rate of change in carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) determined from the distal common carotid artery (CCA) far wall intima-media thickness (IMT) in computer image processed B mode ultrasonograms will be the primary trial endpoint. Arterial stiffness measured from the CCA (same location as CIMT) in computer image processed B mode ultrasonograms will be the secondary trial endpoint. Three composite cognitive measures will be used to test for randomized treatment group differences in cognition; each composite will be considered as co-endpoints.