Ancillary Studies

The Women's Health Initiative is currently collecting annual follow-up data from participants in the WHI Extension Study 2010-2020.  This study includes 93,500 consenting participants from the first WHI Extension Study 2005-2010 and focuses on cardiovascular events and aging, complementing the existing WHI resource.  Visit About WHI for more information about the original WHI studies and the Extension Studies.

Ancillary Studies

In addition to the main WHI studies, several ancillary studies have enrolled or are currently enrolling WHI participants.  A few of the larger WHI ancillary studies are described below.   If you are interested in proposing a WHI ancillary study, visit Researchers/Propose a Study.  For a complete list of all approved ancillary studies, visit Researchers/Current and Completed Studies.

Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC)

The goal of the LILAC Study is to develop a unique resource to support studies of cancer survival, survivorship, and molecular epidemiology.  At the completion of data collection, the LILAC study consented approximately 8,500 living women diagnosed with certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, and leukemia. Another 5,000 deceased women with these types of cancer were enrolled in LILAC using a partial waiver of consent. Visit the LILAC Study page to learn more.

Long Life Study (LLS)

The Long Life Study conducted in-person visits with 7,875 participants in the WHI Extension Study II.  This one-time visit (conducted sometime between March 2012 and May 2013) included a blood draw, a brief clinical assessment, and an assessment of functional status.  LLS participants were also invited to participate in the OPACH study (see below).  Visit the LLS page for more information. 

Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Study (OPACH)

WHI participants were invited to join this study as part of the LLS.  OPACH participants wore an accelerometer for one week, completed a sleep log and physical activity questionnaire, and reported their falls each month for one year.  Enrollment in this study was completed in early 2014, with over 7000 participants. 

WHI Memory Study (WHIMS)

The purpose of WHIMS was to determine whether taking hormones (estrogen alone or estrogen plus progestin) would prevent dementia or slow the decline of cognitive function in postmenopausal women.