Framingham score predicts raloxifene's stroke risk.(GYNECOLOGY)

Orlando -- The Framingham stroke risk score can predict a high-risk postmenopausal woman's likelihood of a future cerebrovascular event with raloxifene use, according to new analysis of data from the Raloxifene Use for the Heart (RUTH) study.

Investigators in 26 countries enrolled 10,101 women at risk for a major coronary-event in RUTH. A total of 5,031 women had documented coronary heart disease and the remaining 5,070 had multiple coronary heart disease risk factors (Am. J. Cardiol. 2002;90:1204-10). Although overall stroke risk was not significantly different between women randomized to raloxifene versus placebo, a higher number of fatal stroke events occurred in the treatment group, 59, compared with 39 in the placebo group during a mean of 5.6 years follow-up (N. Engl. J. Med. 2006:355:125-37).

Investigators launched a second study to see how this increased risk associated with raloxifene (hazard ratio, 1.49; absolute risk increase, 0.7 per 1,000 woman-years) would apply to women stratified by baseline Framingham stroke scale score.

David Cox, Ph.D., and his associates retrospectively calculated 10-year cumulative risk. He presented findings at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Eli Lilly dc Co. sup-ported the study, and Dr. Cox is a clinical research scientist for the company.

Not surprisingly, risks appeared to congregate in the third and fourth highest quartiles of Framingham score risk. However, there were no significant differences between treatment groups in either all strokes or ...