by Ann Talbot
February 23, 2006 – I am famous today. Each tv anchor talked about me. The newspapers featured me and Time magazine gave me a whole page. So I feel I should share my celebrity with HNN.
Ten years ago I answered an ad sent to me on a "penny postcard". Brigham and Women’s Hospital was looking for women sixty-and-over for a gigantic study. Going into their Chestnut Hill building, I was surprised to meet a friend from Holliston in the waiting room – Regina Mantell. She had also answered the call. We were interviewed and examined, our data fed into a computer, and given appointments several weeks later.
The Women’s Health Initiative study was divided into four sub-studies:
1. Dietary Study – 48,835 women to answer the question "does a low-fat eating pattern with lots of fruits/vegetables, and grains lower the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and heart disease in postmenopausal women?"
2. Calcium and Vitamin D Study – 36,282 women to see if calcium and vitamin D supplements prevent hip fracture and colorectal cancer.
3. Hormone Study – divided into Estrogen + Progestin and Estrogen Alone studies
4. Observational Study – annual detailed questionnaires from the 94,000 participants covering a wide variety of health topics.
The interviewer was interested in why I had come to participate. I knew that most major medical studies had been done on men, the armed forces and prisons being convenient populations. I felt that any scientific advances that the Women’s Health Initiative made would be a gift to my granddaughters. I was selected randomly by computer for the Calcium and Vitamin D study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
I was responsible for taking two large green pills each day – one in the morning and one at night. At my annual appointment in January, I received a year’s supply and was required to return any leftovers. I was very faithful about taking these pills over seven years in spite of some people telling me I was nuts to take them not knowing what they were. I guess every study has some risk.
My annual appointment consisted of checking weight and height (I’m shrinking), an extensive interview with a researcher, a check on all medications I was taking, EKG or blood testing with lots of little vials, and an unusual blood pressure ritual. I had to wait five minutes alone thinking pleasant thoughts. Then my blood pressure was taken exactly halfway down my upper arm. After a brief wait, my blood pressure was taken again. The day my car was rear-ended on slippery Route 9, my numbers probably skewed the data.
An amazing meeting occurred during my second appointment. The researcher had my material spread on her desk and began my annual interview. As we talked she asked me if I had been a teacher in Newton because I reminded her of her sixth grade teacher, Miss Robbins. I took a good look at her and said, "Barbara Hurwitz", and got a big hug from a student from my second class forty years before. Every year I had the great pleasure of touching base with her.
At my last visit, I was given a sealed envelope to open. This let me know that I had not been taking a placebo all these years, but additional calcium and vitamin D. The findings from three of the studies are now in. The Hormone Study was discontinued a few years ago when increased risk factors were appearing in regard to memory, urinary incontinence, and gall bladder problems. The Dietary Study found that a low-fat eating pattern did not reduce the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or heart disease, but is a generally good pattern of eating. The Calcium and Vitamin D Study was just reported on February 22nd. They found a decreased number of hip fractures among the women taking the supplement, but not greatly sign
